The Kano State Police Command on Saturday confirmed that it intercepted a Mercedes Benz car loaded with suspected sophisticated Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
It said the vehicle, which came from Jigawa State, was abandoned at Bubbugaje Quarters, Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.
The spokesman of the command, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said in a statement issued Saturday that the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sama’ila Shu’aibu Dikko, had immediately raised a crack team comprising Explosive Ordinance Disposal – Chemical, Biological Radiological and Nuclear Defence (EOD-CBRN) and Operation Puff Adder to examine the vehicle.
“Following a hot chase, the suspects abandoned the motor vehicle at Bubbugaje Quarters, Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.
“A technical search conducted by the team revealed that the motor vehicle was fully loaded with Improvised Explosive Device materials.
“Items recovered from discovery included two AK-47 rifles, four AK-47 magazines, 1,098 live ammunition, and two pistol magazines were also recovered,” the police spokesman explained.
Kiyawa added that an investigation into the incident had commenced.
The command also confirmed that nine persons were killed during last week’s explosion in Sabon Gari of the Kano metropolis.
According to the statement, arrests had been made linking one of the collapsed shops with dealing in the sale of illicit, toxic chemical substances and combustible materials suspected to be used for making IEDs.
It added that evidence of purchase was also recovered.
The police disclosed that during last week’s explosion, a technical investigation conducted by the command’s EOD-CBRN revealed that the explosion was “suspected to have occurred as a result of mixed chemical/gas reactions exposed to a source of heat, such as fire, spark or increase in pressure resulting in combustion/shock waves, creating an explosion which can have shattering effects.”
Ibrahim Shuaibu
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