DSS Reveals Nyanya Blast Mastermind Was A Former Army Officer

DSS Reveals Nyanya Blast Mastermind Was A Former Army Officer

The Department of State Services, DSS, on May 12, 2014, Monday, paraded the suspects of the Nyanya bombing that killed over 75 people and had many injured.

* Five suspects of Nyanya bomb blast, FCT Abuja, paraded to general public

DSS Deputy Director of Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, revealed that the mastermind of the attack was one Rufai Abubakar Tsiga (a Boko Haram leader) helped by a former army officer, Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche.

Ogar revealed that the two men, are wanted for the bombing of the busy transport terminal on April 14.

The DSS confirmed that Tisga and Muhammadu Sani Ishaq, transported the explosive-laden vehicle to the bus stationn at Nyanya, on April 13, but Tisga was the one to personally take the car to the position in which he later in the morning set off.

Sani Ishaq had been apprehended, but the duo of Tsiga and Ogwuche have gone hiding making the DSS place them on the wanted list.

Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche is an Army deserter, whose father is a retired Army colonel of the Nigerian Army. He hails from Orokam, Ogbadibo council of Benue State is a student of Arabic Language at the International University of Africa, Sudan.

Ogwuche had joined the army with service number SVC 95/104, left the army in 2006, he had also worked in the Intelligence Unit at Child Avenue, Arakan Barracks, Lagos, between 2001 and 2006.

It was also revealed that Ogwuche was arrested by security operatives on November 12, 2011, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, but was released to his father after intensive pressure from human rights groups, who claimed he was denied his basic rights by the security officials.

The DSS said that a bounty of N25 million have been place on their head, Meanwhile the five paraded suspects Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, alias Abu Ibrahim/Maiturare, Muhammadu Sani Ishaq, Yau Saidu alias Kotar Rama, Anas Isah and Adamu Yusuf revealed their part in the brutal attack.

Ahmed Rufai Abubakar told security details that Tsiga had told him he was part of Boko Haram only after the explosion in Nyanya, Tsiga had also told him that the reason they did it was because of the lynching of a member 8 days before at Nyanya.

This alleged lynching however did not happen, but was a lie to elicit the sympathy of the sect members. Tsiga also told him that Boko Haram national leader (Shekau) had told all members to relocate to ‘Gaaba’ (Boko Haram forest camp) in preparation for mass attacks against the country.

Ishaq, who is a sales boy in Tsiga's patent medicine store at Utako named Kishi Clinic, a place Boko Haram used as their base of operation in Abuja.

He said Tsiga had informed him two days before the blast of the plans, but was not told the location, Tsiga also told him that the bombs where being coupled at one Adamu Yusuf home, he also said he followed Tsiga to park the vehicle at Nyanya that night. Tsiga also told him that the story of one of their members being lynched to death to incite him.

Saidu alias Kotar Rama Saidu, 28, was arrested on April 29 at his village, Dandambo, Tsanyawa council of Kano State, he worked under Tsiga in Utako and claimed that Tsiga and Ishaq attempted to enlist him into Boko Haram alot of times.

He also pointed at Tsiga, Ishaq and Ogwuche as the masterminds of the operation, revealing that Tsiga had gone out around on April 13 at 11am in a “black coloured Honda Accord” with Ishaq and returned four hours later, then later in the evening they left in the same car again only to this time return the following day April 14 at 11am.

Tsiga also sent an SMS "Hauwa’u" on his mobile to his wife to pack up and flee the area.

Source: Legit.ng

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Khadijah Thabit (Copyeditor) Khadijah Thabit is an editor with over 3 years of experience editing and managing contents such as articles, blogs, newsletters and social leads. She has a BA in English and Literary Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Khadijah joined Legit.ng in September 2020 as a copyeditor and proofreader for the Human Interest, Current Affairs, Business, Sports and PR desks. As a grammar police, she develops her skills by reading novels and dictionaries. Email: khadeeejathabit@gmail.com