Abba Saidu, a survivor of the IED explosion at Almajiri Tsangaya Modern School in Kuchibuyi community, near Kubwa town in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been arrested by police.
According to Daily Trust, Saidu was taken into custody by police detectives shortly after being discharged from the hospital.
The explosion, which occurred on January 6, 2025, claimed the lives of Harisu Lawan and Majid Ibrahim.
Another injured victim, Fauziyya Ilyasu, received treatment at Kubwa General Hospital and was discharged within the week, while Saidu was transferred to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada due to the severity of his injuries. He remained hospitalized for about a week.
Speaking to the publication by phone on Sunday, Saidu’s elder brother, Salisu Dungu, revealed that police officers maintained a watch on Saidu throughout his hospital stay.
“I stayed with him for a few days before asking my brother Nura from our village in Katsina State to come and look after him while I returned to work,” Dungu said.
He added, “My brother later informed me that the police had detained him at their Life-Camp office before transferring him to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).”
Saidu is expected to have spent two weeks in detention by Monday, February 3.
According to Dungu, Saidu had mentioned during his hospital stay that the explosive device was found by one of the deceased victims, Harisu Lawan, while they were scavenging for sweet potatoes on a nearby farm.
Meanwhile, Iliya Shuaibu, the father of Fauziyya Ilyasu, expressed concern over the police’s actions, noting that the school proprietor, Adamu Hashimu, had been in custody since his arrest on the day of the incident.
While a police source in Kubwa confirmed Saidu’s arrest, attempts to reach the FCT Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for comments were unsuccessful.
