BREAKING: Suspect In Port Harcourt Blast During Protest Caught

The Rivers State Government has apprehended the suspect responsible for detonating an explosive device near the state-owned Presidential Hotel during a pro-police protest in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

This swift action follows less than 24 hours after the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, alerted public and private medical facilities in the state to be on the lookout for the suspect, highlighting his injury signs and urging detention if found.

A dynamite-like substance exploded near the Presidential Hotel on the Aba expressway, causing panic. Addressing the media on Tuesday evening, Oreh stated, “Now the Rivers State Ministry of Health is calling for an alert to all medical facilities in the state, both public and privately owned facilities to be vigilant and look out for an individual, a young man with a traumatically dismembered upper limb because this injury which was sustained will require medical attention.”

Oreh added, “If such an individual and their accomplices are present in any of the facilities, immediately notify the Commissioner for Police, Rivers State and the Rivers State Ministry of Health.”

Later that night, Oreh informed reporters that the unidentified suspect had been brought to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital by friends who fled the scene. She explained that those who brought the man claimed he had been in a road accident.

Oreh clarified, “Following that call, our medical facilities in the state were on a heightened sense of alert and so when a young man was brought to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital with alleged injury sustained during what was said to be a road traffic accident the medical personnel that were on hand to examine him and offer care were on alert.”

She further noted, “The medical personnel did the needful and immediately informed the Rivers State Government, the Commissioner for Police, and the Rivers State Ministry of Health about the presence of that individual in the facility even when providing emergency medical care to revive and resuscitate him.”

The commissioner confirmed the suspect is now stable after receiving medical treatment. “We are working with the Rivers State Police Command and so the Hospital has been fully secured, the premises and the perimeter have been fully secured,” she said. “The patient is undergoing medical treatment. He is stable and the police are doing their own part in carrying out the necessary investigations.”

Efforts to reach the State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, on Wednesday morning were unsuccessful. The Police Command spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, mentioned she was yet to confirm if the suspect had been found but promised to follow up.

On Tuesday night, Commissioner Disu confirmed the explosion and stated that preliminary investigations revealed the suspect detonated the explosive device. He clarified that the incident was not linked to the pro-police protesters and confirmed an ongoing investigation. “We got that information that four persons in a white Corolla vehicle somewhere along Aba Road stopped their vehicle and there was an explosion,” Disu said. “The information we gathered was that two of the occupants of the vehicle were injured, while two others came out, put them in the vehicle, and drove off.”