Guardian

• Court remands seven over terror attack

• SSS arrests terrorist suspect

THERE may be no end to the orgy of violence in Borno State, as barely 48 hours after the torching of a police station and killing of an inspector, a bomb blast Wednesday rocked Maiduguri, killing three persons, including a suspected bomber, and injuring two others.

In a related development, the Federal High Court Wednesday remanded seven persons in prison custody for allegedly robbing some banks in Bauchi State in 2011 for the purpose of raising funds to support the fiery Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

Meanwhile, the State Security Service (SSS) has arrested a 50-year old Iran-trained Nigerian, Abdullahi Mustapha Berende, for alleged espionage and terrorist activities.

The Maiduguri blast is coming on the heels of confirmation yesterday by the Police of Sunday’s abduction of six sailors of a foreign vessel by armed pirates in Brass and Southern Ijaw councils of Bayelsa State. Police sources also confirmed that the kidnappers have demanded $1.3 million as ransom.

Also, following Tuesday’s kidnap of seven French nationals at a Camerounian border town with Nigeria, the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS), the Police and   JTF have been placed on alert, NIS Acting Comptroller-General, Rilwanu Bala Musa, has disclosed.

And, irked by what they called neglect, some erstwhile militants in Imo State yesterday protested in Owerri. Specifically, the youths in large numbers, led by one Mr. Andrew, marched through the streets of Owerri asking that they be considered in compliance with the agreement reached with the Federal Government under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

According to the Joint Task Force (JTF), the Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) was targeted at its vehicle while on patrol of the Maiduguri Monday Market (MMM) and General Hospital areas. JTF Spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, added in a statement that besides the loss of lives, the patrol vehicle was damaged by the blast.

The seven accused persons, who were arraigned before Justice Abubakar Mohammed on a 13-count charge, did not enter their plea owing to lack of legal representation for them. The accused are Usman Sani, Abdulrahman Musa, Mahmud Mohammed, Kabir Mohammed, Umar Danjuma, Ibrahim Musa Abba and Abdullahi Lawan.

According to the SSS authorities, two of his accomplices, Sulaiman Olayinka Saka and Saheed Aderemi Adewumi, and a third, Bunyamin Yusuf, now at large, would be charged to court, and “there is conclusive evidence that Berende, in collaboration with his Iranian handlers, were involved in grievous crimes against the national security of this country.”

The Police said: “Three of those abducted are from Ukraine, two are Indians and a Russian. And one of the kidnappers called to demand the sum of N200 million  (one million euros, $1.3 million). We have deployed intelligence personnel in search of the six workers.”

Bala disclosed this yesterday in Maiduguri when he paid a courtesy visit to Governor Kashim Shettima Borno.