Soldiers in Aba stormed the Central Mosque at about 2 am searching for bombs reportedly being manufactured on its premises.
Finding no evidence of bomb making, according to sources, the soldiers arrested Chief Imam, Alhaji Idris Bashir; his deputy, Mallam Bello Maija-a and a Youth Corps member serving in the school attached to the mosque.
Former Abia State Amirul-haj and deputy chairman of the Muslim community in Aba, Alhaji Musa Iheakaram narrated what happened to reporters.
He said, “At about 2am, one of my brothers, Alhaji Bala Daura called to inform me about the raid by soldiers from yet-to-be-identified barracks, but before I could rush to the mosque, the soldiers had taken the Chief Imam, his deputy and a corps member away.
“They didn’t end at the Aba Central Mosque. Another information reaching me now is that they equally went to the onions market at Uratta market, searched everywhere in the mosque; they didn’t see that Imam. They took the phones of our brothers that were in that market at about 3a.m. after they left Aba Central Mosque and went away with the chairman of the onion market and his secretary.
“We also learnt that they went to the yam market, where they equally searched and were unable to get anything. They however, went away with the chairman of the yam sellers. The Sarki of Ogbor Hill was also picked by the soldiers when they carried out a similar operation in that zone.”
Iheakaram called on the Military to release those arrested as nothing incriminating was found with them.
Our solders are only good in harrassing innocent citzens, they are good for nothing!!! if I were to be Nigerian solder I will hid in shame!!! for for true Boko Haram in the dessert not Innocent citizen in the city. SHAMELESS people
let them be objective in their search, there is nothing wrong in searching, let them verify the information they got, if found out that the chemical is main for the student experiment, then fine and good, if otherwise investigation should be carryout by the police and state security service (SSS), and if the chemical materials were for bomb making then the people arrested be charge for negligent, for i know some criminals may come and hide some deadly materials in the mosque or church to cause panic in the society. in this case, henceforth any church or mosque should be properly policed by their leaders.