Police arrest 50 suspects over Apapa blasts

There is “reasonable progress” in the probe of the June 25 twin blasts at a tank farm in Apapa Lagos, TheCable has been informed.

The blasts in front of a tank farm and at the Alex Junction both on Creek Road — initially attributed to a gas explosion — claimed four lives.

The Lagos state police command has launched a massive mop-up of suspects after conducting preliminary investigations.

TheCable learnt that 50 suspects were picked up between Monday and Tuesday this week by police operatives from different divisions.

They were then transferred to the Special Investigation Bureau (SIB) at the command headquarters in Ikeja.

The suspects are being thoroughly interrogated “and those who are believed to be innocent are being released,” a senior police officer told TheCable.

The officer said there is “reasonable suspicion” that some of the suspects have infiltrated and are setting up terror sects.

He said: “Some of them were picked up from Apapa, Ijora, Berger, Isolo, Mushin, Idi-Araba, and some other places in the state based on a tip-off.

“Currently, we are quizzing the ones already arrested on the suspicion that they are Boko Haram members. Already, we have gathered that some of them are Nigerians while the rest are foreigners who smuggled themselves into the country without the appropriate pass.

“If after investigations, they are deemed clean, we will release the Nigerians among them to sureties but the foreigners will be deported if they are cleared after investigations.

“However, if investigations reveal they are Boko Haram members, we will take them to Abuja for further investigations and then they will take it up from there.”