A suspected member of Boko Haram on Monday reportedly blew himself up with Improvised Explosive Device (IED) to avoid being arrested by security operatives.
According to impeccable sources, the incident happened at Ibrahim Haske Road in Keke community of New Millennium City, Chikun local government area of Kaduna state.
The sources, within the community, confirmed that the suicide bomber had been on the watchlist of security agencies, who eventually trailed him to an apartment in Keke community where he had been hiding.
According to the sources, a combined team of policemen, personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) and soldiers surrounded the apartment and engaged the suspect in a gun duel but upon sensing that the security operatives were closing in on him, the suspected terrorist blew himself up with an improvised explosive device.
Blueprint also gathered that, one AK-47 rifle was recovered inside the suspect’s apartment, along with two other live explosive devices that were later safely defused by the anti-bomb squad of the Kaduna state Police Command.
Meanwhile, the mutilated body of the suspect was later evacuated from the scene by security operatives, who also took the bomber’s wife and children away for further investigation.
The community leader of the area, Malam Samaila, who confirmed the incident, noted that the security operatives had barricaded the street to prevent people from approaching the suspect’s house.
Samaila said it was likely that the security personnel had tracked down the suspect to his residence to arrest him alive.
However, realising that escape was impossible, he decided to take his own life inside the house.
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer, Kaduna state Police Command, DSP Muhammed Jalige, who had earlier confirmed the incident to a journalist, however said he was waiting for details of the incident from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Millennium City.
