Apr. 20, 2014
By Premium Times
The Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested a police officer for allegedly placing a suspicious item inside the ERCC Church along Wamba road in Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The police officer, whose name could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, was said to have entered the church with the item on Friday. He was on his way out when security officials at the gate asked him for the item he went in with.
Witnesses told Premium Times that an argument ensued between the police officer and church security officials.
A witness, Ibrahim Danladi, said the church security officials forced the officer to show them the item, which had been placed under one of the chairs in the church.
“He confessed before the people and police that he was the one that put the items under the chair,” Mr. Danladi said.
The police officer was later arrested and taken into custody at the divisional police headquarters in Akwanga before he was transferred to state Criminal Investigation Department, CID.
Although many of the church members said the item was a bomb, a high ranking police officer who did not want his name in print said it was a teargas canister. He said the police officer was currently serving in Kaduna but was formerly serving in Akwanga and only visited his last place of primary assignment.
When contacted, the Nasarawa State Police Public Relations Officer, Umar Numan, confirmed the arrest of the police officer. He explained that the officer is under investigation at the state CID.
Mr. Numan said the officer was arrested for placing a tear gas canister inside a church during the Good Friday church service. He said the officer will be paraded before journalists on Tuesday next week.