Tobias Sylvester
Rivers State Police Command has arrested three suspects who allegedly detonated explosives at a Pentecostal church owned by Reverend Nlemanya Wike, the father of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.
It was gathered that the suspects numbering about five attacked Governor Wike’s father’s church known as Christian Universal Church International, located at Mile 3, Diobu area of Port Harcourt.
Three suspects were caught by men of a local security outfit in area after they allegedly detonated a dynamite in the church premises on Saturday night, without recording a casualty.
Narating the incident on Sunday, the Assistant Chief Security Officer of the Azikiwe Street Security, Collins Johnbull said one of his men was hit by a bullet in the process of chasing the suspects and currently receiving treatment in the hospital, Punch reports.
“On Saturday, 28th day of November, 2020, while I was on my duty post, we observed some movements around 8 pm to 9 pm and we were on the alert, before then we saw some strange faces, about five of them, that entered into the governor’s father’s church and we thought they were church members having their normal evening programme, but we were suspicious of them because of the way they were moving.
“About five minutes after the boys entered the church, there was an explosion, we heard a banging noise like that of a bomb from the church and we immediately approached the church and saw them (the suspects) jumping out of the church wearing masks and carrying guns and started shooting at my men.
“By God’s grace, we were able to apprehend three of the criminals that attacked the church, while two escaped. We did everything in our power to apprehend the hoodlums, as we are talking now, one of my men who was hit by a bullet is receiving treatment.”
Another member of the security team, Uche Brown, who corroborated the story said the three suspects have been taken into custody by the police.
“Around 8.43 pm, some hoodlums who attacked the state governor’s father’s church at Azikiwe street tried to bring down the building by throwing dynamites into it but (they) did not succeed.
“When they noticed that the security men were approaching them, they tried to escape and we apprehended three of them, while two escaped, before the arrival of the police who took them into custody.”
The spokesman for the State Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni, who also confirmed the incident to newsmen, said the three persons arrested in connection with the incident are helping the police with the investigation.
He said that the police anti-bomb unit had earlier arrived at the scene, adding that the command had begun a manhunt for the other suspects, who were still at large.
“I can confirm the attack on the church and three suspects arrested in connection with the attack.
“They are helping us in our investigation and the church premises have been thoroughly inspected by the command’s Bomb Department,” he said.
KanyiDaily recalls that Governor Wike recently imposed a 24-hour total curfew for two weeks on some parts of Port Harcourt due to an upsurge of cult activities and related violence.
