BY NDAHI MARAMA

Explosion, Saturday morning, rocked a bomb factory in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, claiming three lives of   suspected members of Boko Haram who were inside the factory at the time of the blast.

Vanguard gathered that the explosion  which occurred at about 9:00am in Shehuri II, Bolori ward of the metropolis, also destroyed  a few houses in the neighborhood.

The recovered materials and guns

Briefing newsmen,the Commander of the Joint Task Force,  (JTF), Major General Ikechukwu Nwaogbo said  that at about 9:00 oclock on Saturday, December 2011, an explosion occurred in Shehuri II of Bolori in Maiduguri Metropolis.

Speaking through his Spokesman, Lt. Col. Hassan Mohammed said, immediately after the blast, the Personnel of the JTF moved to the location and discovered on arrival that a house inhabited by unidentified, but suspected to be Boko haram sect members had exploded.

Hassan however said, the immediate cause of the explosion could not be ascertained and the area was cordoned off, after which the police Bomb Disposal Squad was called in for detailed investigations.

Another view of the items

He said after investigations, the security operatives discovered that the house was confirmed to be one used by suspected members of the Boko Haram as a major factory for the production of Improvised Eplosive Devises (IED’s).

Col. Hassan said large quantities of unused IED materials, such as ready-to–detonate three drums which can contain 600 litres sealed with gun powder, 3 unidentified mutilated corpses suspected to be responsible for manning the factory were discovered.

Other items include, 2 AK47 Riffles, ammunitions, remote controls, mutilated mobile police Uniforms with ranks, injecting sringes, Jerry cans loaded with Gas, 1 set of grinding machine, assorted containers of gun powder, tapes with Islamic inscriptions, laptop, video camera, GSM handsets, wall clocks and several prepared IED’s were also found.