Police nab 10-year-old girl ‘with explosives’

Security operatives in Katsina state have arrested a 10-year-old girl strapped with explosives, coordinator of the national information centre, Mr Mike Omeri, said on Wednesday.

Two other Boko Haram suspects were arrested as well.

The three suspects — Iliya Dahiru; Zainab Musa, 18; and Hadiza Musa 10 — were arrested on Tuesday at about 10pm along Zaria road, Tudun Wada area of Funtua metropolis in Katsina.

“The three suspects were arrested in a Honda CRV car,” Omeri said.

“When they were directed to disembark for security checks, 10-year-old Hadiza was discovered to have been strapped with an explosive belt and immediately, Iliya and Zainab made attempts to escape with the car but were later blocked by other concerned Nigerians and subsequently arrested. The police successfully unstrapped the explosives.”

He appealed to parents to consciously observe and watch their children’s activities to prevent them from participating in unwholesome activities, particularly acts of terrorism.

“We wish to express our appreciation at the level of consciousness of Nigerians on security issues and their contributions to the low level of insurgents’ activities within the period,” he continued, urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and to appreciate that the fight against insurgency will be eventually won.

Omeri emphasised that the top priority of the Nigerian military is to secure the nation and to conduct all operations that will lead to the defeat Boko Haram and also counter the spread of terrorism in the country and on the continent.

“The government is closely liaising with domestic and international intelligence agencies within the newly-established Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit (RIFU) to track and capture all terrorists, and their sponsors, in the country,” he added.

“With this action, the government is sending an unequivocal message that terrorists will find no safe haven in any corner of the count.

“We wish to assure Nigerians that the government is putting all efforts and resources into successfully and definitively countering the violent insurgency by Boko Haram.”

Kaduna, from where Katsina state was craved out in 1987, was the subject of two tragic bomb blasts last week, resulting in the death of more than 80 people.