A 50-year-old man, Simeon Onigbo, suspected to be a major manufacturer of bombs and other explosives for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been arrested.
Onigbo was nabbed when police operatives raided an IPOB hideout at Uba Umuaka, Njaba Local Government area of Imo State on Wednesday.
He is alleged as the brain behind the locally-made explosive devices used by suspected IPOB members to attack police and other government facilities in the South-east.
The police spokesperson in Imo State, Michael Abattam, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
He said they arrested the suspect when police operatives raided an IPOB hideout at Uba Umuaka, Njaba Local Government Area of the state.
“On the spot interrogation, the suspect admitted being the manufacturer of most of the improvised explosive devices used in attacking police stations in the state and outside the state,” Abattam said.
He said the suspect had made “useful statements” and also mentioned members of his gangs outside the state who patronised him in the act.
“One already prepared improvised explosive device, 58 pieces of cannon steel pipe, two chisels, one ‘Monday hammer,’ and a half bag of potassium nitrate, were among the items recovered during the operation, according to the police.
“Other items include 30 pounds weight of sulphur, 40 pounds weight of dry sand, 30 pounds weight of gunpowder, half bag of charcoal, 30 electronic motorcycle batteries and seven lengths of 40 meters iron rods,” the Police spokesman told newsmen
The police spokesperson said the command’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit has taken over the recovered bomb for technical analysis and detonation.
Abattam said the command had launched an investigation into the incident and that efforts were in top gear to arrest other fleeing suspects.