THE Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested three men suspected to be members of a militant group with explosive devices.
It was learnt that the hoodlums were picked up on August 18 from their hotel hideouts in Eket, Eket Local Government Area of the state.
The State Police Commissioner, Mr. Murtala Mani, on Friday said the suspects were planning to attack oil and gas pipelines before the police apprehended them.
Mani, who spoke through the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Cordelia Nwawe (ASP), said the police command had seized two high powered EID pipe bombs, measuring 60/80.5cm and 44.55cm.
He added that one long single high powered propel launcher bombs measuring 78, 4.55cm capable of destroying anything from any length and height, were also recovered from the hoodlums.
Other items also recovered from the hoodlums include battery to enable current initiation for explosion. The batteries, according to Mani, were wrapped with red fabrics.
Southern City News gathered that the arrest was made and explosives recovered precisely seven days after a seven-day ultimatum was given to ExxonMobil by the suspected militants to relocate their headquarters from Lagos to Akwa Ibom.
Mani said the hoodlums include Seiniyefa Nelson from Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa State; Victor William from Etinan LGA, and Nseobong Dickson from Eket in Akwa Ibom State.
“The police through intelligence report on August 18 arrested a group of young suspected militant, who were actually planning to vandalise pipelines in Akwa Ibom.
“The command has been able to find two high powered EID pipe bombs, measuring at 60/80.5cm and 44.55cm respectively. One long single high powered propel launcher bombs measuring 78, 4.55cm, are capable of destroying anything from any length and height like oil or gas pipelines,” he said.
One of the suspects, Nelson said he came to Akwa Ibom to visit a lady he wanted to marry in Eket and added that he was with the lady in a hotel in the city when the police raided the place and arrested him.
Nelson stated that though he was an ex-militant, he was innocent and never handled a gun, not to mention bomb.
He claimed that the masks on their faces were given to them by the police.
I came to Eket to see my girlfriend. We have been dating for some time; we have only been talking on phone. She is the woman I want to marry.
“So, I decided to come and meet her for the first time. We lodged in that hotel; I am a child of God and have no business with militancy,” he said.
Meanwhile, the police had also paraded four other who allegedly removed some power transformers belonging to Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution transformers.
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