Nigerian troops arrest three bomb experts in northern state

Nigerian troops operating in northern part of the country on Thursday said three bomb making experts have been arrested in Gombe State after a cordon and search operation.

Spokesperson for the Nigeria Defense Headquarters Major Gen. Chris Olukolade said in a statement sent to Xinhua that the arrested persons are suspected to be members of the terrorists group in search of soft targets for attack after being dislodged from the stronghold in Sambisa forest and other enclaves.

Items recovered from the apprehended include a tricycle and materials for making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), he said.

According to him, the suspects are currently undergoing interrogation, noting that cordon and search is continuing in certain localities and will be intensified along with mopping up operations in locations where offensive operations are being conducted.

The military spokesperson added that the essence is to apprehend the terrorists who have been dislodged from their sanctuaries and are in search of escape routes or resorting to attacking soft targets.

He said the military is poised to ensure that the ongoing operations are duly aligned with security arrangement nationwide toward forestalling any attempt by terrorists or other criminal groups planning to breach security or disrupt the inauguration activities anywhere in the country. Endi