JTF discovers bomb-laden vehicle in Kano.

The Military Joint Task Force (JTF) in Kano yesterday intercepted a bomb-laden vehicle, suspected to have been prepared for a suicide operation.

The wired vehicle, a Honda brand, was discovered with the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in one of the major round abouts on the Kano/Zaria road within the city.

It was gathered that the discovery was made possible, following a tip off  to the military men, who immediately combed the area and intercepted the vehicle.

The vehicle was said to have been relocated to a safe place, where the IED was defused by bomb experts attached to the Kano State Police Command.

When contacted, the Army Public Relations Officer (APRO), who confirmed the incident, disclosed that it was safely defused and that no arrest has been made.

According to him, the JTF operatives discovered a wired vehicle, which was abandoned around the Zaria Road roundabout and subsequently confirmed it to be primed with explosives.

“We invited the bomb disposal men of the Kano Police who immediately arrived the scene, relocated the vehicle to a safe place and defused the IED.”

Speculations were rife that the IED was meant for an undisclosed suicide mission, similar to the Kaduna bomb attack on Easter Sunday, which took many lives.

However, it was gathered from a security source, close to JTF that the would-be suicide bomber may have been frightened by the heavy security presence, supported with armoured tanks, on the streets of the metropolitan city of Kano and abandoned his mission

As at press time, no arrest has been made over the incident.

Meanwhile, security is still high in the state with the military and police on regular patrol.

Armoured vehicles are equally on duty in strategic locations.

Meanwhile, Islamists have shot dead a seven-year-old girl during a failed attempt to kill her policeman father hours after group members killed three in a separate raid, the army and police said yesterday.

Suspected members of Boko Haram fired shots into the house of a police sergeant in Potiskum, a police spokesman in Yobe State, Toyin Gbadigisin, said.

“They fired shots at him while sitting in the midst of his family. He managed to avoid the bullets and scaled over the fence,” Gbadigisin said.

“The gunmen shot dead his seven-year-old-daughter and seriously injured another 12-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old-son who are now in hospital.”

In a separate attack in Dikwa around 1:30 a.m., Boko Haram gunmen killed a policeman, a civilian and a former local government chairman in coordinated attacks.

The attackers targetted a police station, a bank and a hotel but were repelled by army troops, according to Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, spokesman of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno State.

“Three Boko Haram terrorists were killed and many escaped with bullet wounds,” Musa said.