IG moves to unravel motive behind bomb attack on Buhari, sets up probe team

IG moves to unravel motive behind bomb attack on Buhari, sets up probe team

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed D. Abubakar on Friday announced the institution of a high-power investigation team to unravel the perpetrators of the Wednesday bomb attack on the former Head of State and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari, and an Islamic cleric Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi.

Both Buhari and Bauchi narrowly escaped death during the attacks in Kaduna in which thirty-nine (39) Nigerians unfortunately lost their lives while thirty-seven (37) others got injured.

Police boss in a statement by Force Public Relations Office, ACP Frank Mba, said the team of investigators, which is expected to work in close collaboration with other security agencies, is headed by the Commissioner of Police in charge of Legal Department, DCP Nwodibo Ekechukwu.

Other members of the team include: DCP Chris Ezike of the Federal SARS, DCP Dan Mallam of the Monitoring Unit and DCP Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi of the Interpol Unit and others.

The statement further said that security had been tightened in all states of the federationon the orders of the IGP, particularly in the states perceived to be more vulnerable to terror attacks.

While appealing to all Nigerians, particularly Kaduna residents to remain calm, the IGP called on the citizens to cooperate with the security agencies by providing them with relevant information to solve the crime.

Although the details of their terms of reference were not given, security sources indicated that the police might be working on the assumption that the attackers might not be members of the Boko Haram sect.

According to the source, the police have not ruled out the possibility of some other groups masquerading the fluid situation in the country to seek to assassinate the former head of state.

Their position is informed by the fact that Buhari is hardly in the bad books of the Boko Haram insurgents, who had at a time allegedly elected to discuss with the authorities if Buhari could represent their interests.