State Security Service on Thursday said it had recovered a Mazda 626 car and military items allegedly bought by the former leader of the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta, Henry Okah, for use in the October 1 bomb blasts in Abuja.



It stated that the car was one of the vehicles wired for the blasts, but which was not used.



The car, with registration number, Lagos BY318 FKJ, was kept in the custody of the sister to one of the suspects. She allegedly parked the car within a hotel premises in Port Harcourt where it was recovered by the service and towed to Abuja.



The vehicle, which was shown to newsmen during a press briefing by the SSS Assistant Director, Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, at the SSS headquarters, Abuja, has a special compartment for bombs welded behind the back seat.



It was also loaded with 10 bullet-proof jackets and camouflage vests.



The agency also exhibited dozens of military boots, water bottles and camp tents allegedly sent by Charles Okah to one of the suspects for onward movement to militants in the creeks.



Ogar stated that the items were sent through a popular transport company which runs courier services from Lagos to Port Harcourt.



She cautioned transport and courier companies to be more circumspect in handling goods for customers, warning that they would be held responsible for conveying prohibited items.



She also advised car dealers to obtain the full particulars of persons purchasing cars from them to avoid being held liable on the grounds of suspicion for the misdeed of others.



She explained that an undisclosed number of suspects would be arraigned in court on November 25, assuring the public that the investigations would be pursued diligently.



Ogar justified the reluctance of the service to disclose the names and numbers of the suspects in custody. “We cannot reveal the names or the numbers of the suspects in custody; this is to prevent other suspects from going underground. You may wish to note that criminal networks and their activities are usually complex and as such, painstaking investigations are required to unravel them,” she said.


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