Links Oct 1 and March 15 Warri bombings to Henry Okah

By Emman Ovuakporie

ABUJA — More facts emerged yesterday over the recent illegal importation of arms into the country which were intercepted at the Apapa port as the State Security Service, SSS, revealed that both the alleged consignee and agent of the merchant of death have been apprehended.

Briefing newsmen on the update on the intercepted arms at Apapa Port, Assistant Director, Public Relations of the SSS, Mrs Marilyn Ogar, said: “Presently, the consignee and the clearing agent are under arrest and regarding the concealed cargo at the port, the following are the sequence of events.

“The Service had been monitoring the movement of the illegal cargo before it entered the country. The ship that carried the cargo arrived Tin Can Port on 10 July with 371 containers from which 83 were discharged at Fano Bonded Warehouse, Ijesha area of Lagos and the said ship departed on July 11, 2010.

“On October 20, 13 containers of the 83 were moved from Frano  to AP Moller Terminal, Apapa port, where Service personnel requested for 100 percent inspection of the containers.”

“The Bill of Lading read: ‘Building materials comprising glass wood and pallets of stones with destination as Nigeria’, hence any argument that the cargo came into the country by mistake is false.”

On Oct 1 bombing

On progress of investigations concerning the October 1 bomb blasts, Ogar said the car dealers at Amuwo Odofin, Lagos from whom the cars were purchased have been arrested with receipt of purchases for the vehicles.
“The welder who welded the compartments in the car for housing the bombs, at Charles Okah’s residence, Apapa, Lagos from where they were subsequently moved to Port Harcourt has been arrested, and recall we had earlier informed you that the cars were wired at Port Harcourt before being moved to Abuja.”

March 15 Warri bombing

Disclosing that the investigations had to go back to the Warri bombings during Vanguard Newspapers’ retreat, Ogar said: “On Warri bombings of March 15, the perpetrators have also been arrested, they are the same people used by Henry Okah to execute the October 1 bombings.

“It has been uncovered that Henry Okah came from South Africa for the Warri bombings, purchased the cars, which were then moved to the welder and later to the house of one of the suspects on March 13 where he personally wired the bombs.”

“On March 14, Okah allegedly departed the country, apparently to create an alibi for himself over the bombings that eventually took place the next day.”

Regarding disclosures that the arms cargo was on transit to Gaza Strip, Ogar simply said: “I cannot speak on that because the matter is still undergoing investigation.”

On the names and number of suspects presently being prosecuted over the alleged October 1 bombings, she simply said: “Our position has not shifted on that. We will not disclose names of suspects until the end of investigations.”