The Nigerian police have arrested Abba Saidu, one of the victims of the recent explosion at the Almajiri Tsangaya Modern School in the Kuchibuyi community, Kubwa, Abuja.
It was learnt that Saidu was taken into custody shortly after being discharged from the hospital, where he was receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the blast.
The explosion, which occurred at the Tsangayar Sani Uthman Islamic School in Bwari Area Council, was reportedly caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) brought in by three individuals from Katsina who claimed to be Islamic teachers.
The blast killed two people, including a young boy whose body was found mutilated in the aftermath, while another individual was critically injured.
Saidu, who was severely injured, was initially treated at Kubwa General Hospital before being transferred to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada due to the severity of his condition.
He remained there for about a week before being discharged. However, his elder brother, Salisu Dungu, revealed that police officers had been monitoring him throughout his stay at the hospital.
“I stayed with him for some days before asking my brother, Nura, to look after him. Later, I was informed that the police had taken him to their office in Life Camp and later moved him to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID),” Dungu told Daily Trust.
Dungu expressed concerns over Saidu’s continued detention, stating that he had already spent nearly two weeks in police custody. According to Saidu, the explosion happened when one of the deceased victims, Harisu Lawan, found the device while scavenging for sweet potatoes in a nearby farm.
Meanwhile, Iliya Shuaibu, the father of another injured victim, Fauziyya Ilyasu, criticised the police’s handling of the situation.
He also noted that the school’s proprietor, Adamu Hashimu, has been detained since the incident occurred.
Authorities have yet to release an official statement regarding Saidu’s arrest or the ongoing investigation into the explosion.