One of the alleged masterminds of the April 14 Nyanya Bus terminal twin bomb blasts by the Boko Haram sect, which killed over 75 persons and injured others, Aminu Ogwuche, was on Tuesday extradited from Sudan to Nigeria.
Ogwuche was allegedly brought back to the country, apparently without the knowledge of the Sudanese Embassy in Nigeria.
However, the fugitive who fled to Sudan immediately after the incident, was brought to the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 3p.m. aboard a chartered flight by Interpol officials with the assistance of Nigerian security men and diplomats.
At the airport to take custody of the suspected bomber were a team led by the Coordinator of the National Information Centre and Director General of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, Mike Omeri; Director of Defence Information, DDI, Major General Chris Olukolade; Police Force Public Relations Officer, FPPRO, Assistant Commissioner, Frank Mba, and the Deputy Director, Department of State Services, DSS, Marilyn Ogar.
Ogwuche, son of a retired Colonel of the Nigerian Army, who was educated in Sudan, was declared wanted by the Federal Government on May 15, shortly after the DSS paraded some suspects in connection with the Nyanya bombing incident.
Also declared wanted was Abubakar Tsiga, the alleged chief mastermind of the bombing.
Shortly after declaring him wanted, Ogwuche was arrested by the International Police Organisation, INTERPOL, in Sudan, where he fled to.
Earlier reports on the arrest of Ogwuche, indicated that the Sudanese authorities were reluctant to extradite him to Nigeria as a result of interference by a top Northern Emir among other interests.
Sources said that it was in a bid to circumvent these ‘interests’ that the process of extradition of the suspect to the country was made top secret by security operatives until his arrival in the country yesterday afternoon.
In line with the security ploy to keep Oguche’s extradition secret, the Police headquarters had sent an SMS inviting newsmen to cover the unveiling of a “Special Counter Terrorism equipment” at the airport, only for Ogwuche to be introduced as the “equipment.”
Commenting on Oguche’s extradition earlier in the day, the Sudanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Tagelsir Mahgoub, who was apparently not aware that the suspect was already in the country, said: “All the papers (for his extradition) were signed by the two parties (Nigeria and Sudan).
“What we are waiting for now is for the Nigerian government to send a delegation that will come to our embassy to get their visas because everything has been concluded. And I must say that there should not be any delay, because it will delay the whole process.”
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