AN explosion occurredin a vehicle yesterday along Okene-Obehira road by the Living Faith Church in Okene Local Council Area of Kogi State. It was said that the bomb-ridden vehicle was targeted at the Living Faith Church and Deeper Life Church. But the explosion occurred before the vehicle reached its targets.The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed the development. But the Spokesperson of the agency, Mr. Yushau Shuaib, disclosed that no life was lost.He said two suspects were arrested by security personnel before they could escape.Also, some gunmen, who stormed Mahuta village in Kaduna at the weekend, ran out of luck when they were chased by youths from the area leading to the arrest of two of them. A youth in the area was shot dead.Besides, the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of Jama'atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar Sa'ad, has urged the Federal Government to intensify its efforts to boost security in the country.He made the appeal following a suicide bomb attack in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, which almost claimed the lives of the Shehu of Borno and the deputy governor of the state.A source claimed that the occupants of thevehicle in Okene had waited for thechurch service to commence before carrying outthe attack but ran out of luck afterthey were questioned by the manager ofa filling-station where the vehicle was parked.The source added that it was in the process of moving their vehicle from the filling station that it exploded. He also said there was no casualty.The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Kogi State Command,Mr. Ile Simon, who confirmed the blast, said one person had been arrestedin connection with the incident and was being grilled while the second person escaped.The police spokesman, who said information available to him was still very sketchy, noted that the command had placed its men on 24-hours alert to prevent a fresh crisis.The chairman of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Kogi State, who also confirmed the incident, said they were still investigating the blast.As at the time of filing this report, there was serious gridlock along the ever-busy Okene-Obehira Road, which is one of the links between the North and the Western states.The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Kaduna State, DSP Aminu Lawan, confirmed the arrest of two gunmen by residents of the Mahuta community.An eyewitness said the two gunmen had tried to gain access into the village head's residence with the intention to kill or injure him, but he managed to scale the fence and escaped.The confusion that ensued attracted youths in the area that pursued the gunmen and hauled stones at them. However, in the confusion, seven residents of the community were shot and wounded by the gunmen.The eyewitness said it was when the seven injured members of the community werereceiving treatment in a hospital that one of them died. He has since been buried according to Islamic religious rites.The Sultan commiserated with the Deputy President-General of the JNI, Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, at the weekend, in a statement signed by the JNI Secretary General, Sheikh Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, 'over the orchestrated foiled suicide bombing that occurred on Friday, July 13, 2012, at the Maiduguri Jumu'ah Mosque.
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