Suicide Bomber ‘Nathaniel Samuel’ Arrested While Attempting To Blow Up Living Faith Church

Kaduna State Police Command has arrested a middle-aged man identified as Nathaniel Samuel with Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at Living Faith Church, better known as Winners Chapel, located at Sabon Tasha area of Chikun local government area of the state.

Some worshipers at the church told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna that the suspect was apprehended after being caught on CCTV camera dropping a suspicious bag in the church and sneaking out.

They said the man was later traced to the church toilet where he was caught holding a remote control and was subsequently handed over to the police.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Yakubu Sabo, who confirmed the arrest to NAN, said Nathaniel Samuel was arrested with items suspected to be IEDs.

He said that the command had commenced investigation to ascertain the suspect’s mission.

“Today 02/02/2020 at about 0930hrs, One Nathaniel Samuel ‘M’ of Maraban Damishi via Maraban Rido in Chikun L.G.A was arrested by the Police inside Living Faith Church at Sabon Tasha while the Church service was session with some suspected Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) contained in a bag,” the statement read.

“The suspect is currently being interrogated at the Command’s Criminal Investigation Department was said to have left the bag on the church’s seat and went into a rest room for over an hour. Efforts are on to apprehend his accomplices.”

Sabo said all police officers in the command had been directed by the police commissioner to intensify surveillance and to liaise with stakeholders within their respective jurisdictions to ensure collective vigilance.

He also advised those in charge of schools, places of worship, motor parks, markets, recreational centres and other public places to revive the usual checks on vehicles and luggage especially at entrance points.

This is coming barely 48 hours after a female Boko Haram insurgent believed to be 12-year-old detonated a bomb, killing three boys at an Islamic seminary in Muna Dalti, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.