TWO suspected members of the mass-murdering Islamic sect, Boko Haram, died from an explosion of their homemade bombs on Saturday, as members of the Joint Task Force stormed their hideout in Kano.
Confirming the incident, Brig-Gen Iliyasu Abbah of the Nigerian Army told the press in Kano that the operation took place at about 1am on Saturday at Sabuwar Gandu Phase One, of the Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State.
Gen Iliyasu, who is the Brigade Commander of the 3 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Kano, said that two members of his security team sustained injuries in the encounter.
“The suspects have been planning a major operation with a car which had already been primed to explode because they knew security agencies have been trailing them.”
“Unfortunately the IEDs inside the car exploded on them and shattered their bodies.”
Items recovered from the house included two AK 47rifles, three magazines, two vehicles (one of them completely shattered), 36 rounds of 5.65 mm;181 rounds of 7.62mm, one pistol, two unexploded IEDs and several handsets.
According to Gen. Iliyasu, five women and several innocent children found in the house would have died together with the suspects if they had succeeded in detonating all the IEDs.
“We have confirmed that some of them are not Nigerians but that is left to the security agencies charged with the responsibility to bring out the identity of these people.”