LAGOS — SEYI Olayiwola Ahmed, the man who attempted to blow up the Superscreen TV on December 22, 2009, yesterday, on his sick bed at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, said his intention was not to hurt anybody, not even staff of the Superscreen TV, but to draw the attention of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of the Believers’ Loveworld Church better known as the Christ Embassy.
The 30 year-old Oyo State-born film producer and father of one, said he manufactured the explosives himself having learnt it on the internet. He claimed that he had been working for the church for some time now adding that the last job he did was not paid for and that his intention was to actually get the attention of the pastor for financial assistance.
Ahmed said: “I am somebody who learnt things by intuition, and so I was always browsing the net and because I have special interest in explosive I learnt how to make them.
I actually made three explosives, it was the smallest one that exploded at Logemo House and got me injured. Like I said, I was in a financial mess after the lady in one of the branches terminated my contract with them. The church did not even pay me for the one we did earlier for them let alone the latest.
So I was frustrated and wanted something to do to feed my family. My mission at the Superscreen was to ask how much they pay for the shooting of soap operas and other things and not to hurt anybody.
But it happened that the man I met said the person who was in a position to give me some of the information was at the seventh floor. It was when I was going up that the explosive went off..”
Regretting his action, the failed bomber who spoke flawless English Language quoted some scriptures like “touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm.”
The incident which prompted yesterday’s confession, began, December 22, 2009, following an explosion on the fourth floor of the a nine-storey building at Onipanu along Ikorodu express road, where the bomb carrier was affected.
The explosives which was neatly wrapped as Christmas gift, was taken to Superscreen Television, on the ninth floor of the building when it exploded mid way, rocking the entire area.
At first, no one could give detailed account of the exact cause of the explosion, as there were varying accounts as to how the explosive got to the building.
But the following day, the Lagos Police Command boss, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo, told anxious journalists that the victim of the blast was actually the messenger, adding that two additional explosives detonated by policemen from the Bomb Disposal Unit, were also discovered at the scene of the blast.
Salient issues
Although Akpoyibo was silent on other salient issues concerning the explosion, he, however, promised to do so at the appropriate time, noting that when the suspect’s abode, which he failed to disclose for what he described as security reasons, was searched, more items that aided the command’s investigation were discovered.
Vanguard, however, learnt that the suspect lived at the Fola Agoro area of Shomolu, where he occupied a room apartment on the ground floor of the two-storey building. He wife also was said to have hurriedly left the house, holding two polythene bags and a sac, with a baby strapped to her back two days before the incident.
After the incident, security measures such as rigorous search of visitors into any of the companies in Logemo house was carried out. Vanguard gathered that the incident prompted the rejection of wrapped Christmas gifts from unknown persons, particularly by Supercreen Television staff.
Meanwhile at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital where the 30-year-old Olayinwola Ahmed was initially admitted at the intensive care unit, security was tightened as only designated doctors were allowed to attend to him.
Some police nurses were also detailed to take care of him and also kept an eye on any visitor that requested to see him. Unfortunately there was reportedly none, until last weekend when two visitors who came visiting bolted away before nurses could alert plain clothes policemen.
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