Bomb-making Equipment Uncovered in Central Nigeria

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011 at 10:35 pm UTC

Posted 1 day ago

Nigerian officials say they have discovered a large cache of bomb-making equipment in restive Jos just weeks before the country is scheduled to vote in nationwide presidential, parliamentary, and gubernatorial elections.
Army officials said special task force members Tuesday detained two men found to be carrying bomb supplies in a black nylon bag. After interrogating the suspects, the task force officers were led to a house where they found additional supplies, including dynamite, detonators, and a pamphlet with instructions for building a bomb. The officers also arrested a third suspect at the house.
Brigadier General Hassan Umaru told the Associated Press people who “want to cause confusion” during the upcoming polls are stocking up on ammunition.
Violence across central and northern Nigeria has risen as the elections approach. But the head of the country's electoral commission, Attahiru Jega, has promised the polls will be credible and not a repeat of 2007, when the polls were marred by chaos and fraud.
Jos has experienced years of sectarian violence stemming from disputes over land, jobs, and power. Thousands have been killed in recurring battles between gangs of Muslims and Christians.
The latest wave of attacks in Jos began with bombings on Christmas Eve that killed several dozen people.
Jos sits in Nigeria's so-called Middle Belt, where the mainly Muslim north meets the predominantly Christian south.
Nigeria, with about 140 million people, is Africa's most populous nation and a major oil producer.