Nigeria arrests nine independence day bombing suspects

Nine people suspected of involvement in last week's Nigerian independence day bomb blasts have been arrested, an intelligence official said on Monday.

Reuters

"So far nine arrests have been made and all have direct links with [rebel leader] Henry Okah, the incident and some unscrupulous prominent elements in the society," Nigerian intelligence service spokesperson Marilyn Ogar told reporters.

She refused to give details of the suspects. Police had earlier said they were holding one suspect, a foreigner, and were hunting two people believed to be the masterminds of the blasts.

Okah, ex-leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), was arrested on Saturday in Johannesburg, the day after the twin car bombings in Nigeria's capital Abuja killed 12 people.

Statements in the name of Mend, a Nigerian militant group based in the southern oil-rich region, have claimed responsibility for the bombings.

Ogar said the arrested suspects "have direct links to Henry Okah, not Mend".

Charles Ukeje, a Mend specialist, told RFI he doesn't believe the independence day bombing is the work of the oil militant group, as such an attack would not serve their interests.

“It is about a struggle for better conditions and fundamental change to the Niger Delta. I don’t see how a bomb blast in Abuja, in the middle of national day celebrations would help their cause."

Okah, the former rebel group leader, who has a house in Johannesburg, remained in custody in South Africa on Monday after a court postponed his bail hearing to 14 October.

Ogar said the attacks were initially planned to be staged two days prior to Nigeria's independence anniversary celebrations, but were "foiled".

"The overriding objective of the group was to scare foreign visitors from attending the 50th anniversary celebrations."