How hoodlums attacked, bombed APP Secretariat in Port Harcourt – Police

The Rivers State Police Command has disclosed that the individuals responsible for the recent explosive attack at the state secretariat of the Action People’s Party (APP) in Port Harcourt arrived at the scene in a vehicle.

According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, the attackers detonated the explosive after parking near the secretariat.

Iringe-Koko explained that the incident occurred in the early hours of August 12, 2024. “At approximately 12:30 a.m., the Rivers State Police Command received a distress call reporting a loud explosion at the APP secretariat on Tombia Extension, GRA Phase 2, Port Harcourt,” she stated.

In response, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, along with a team of tactical units and experts from the Explosives Ordinance Disposal (EOD/Anti-Bomb) Squad, was immediately deployed to the scene. The area was secured, and explosive disposal procedures were initiated.

Upon investigation, the police discovered a crater in front of the building, indicating where the device had been placed. The explosion caused significant damage, shattering the windows and doors of the secretariat. Eyewitnesses reported that a car was parked a short distance from the building, from which two young men emerged, ignited the explosive, and threw it at the secretariat before fleeing the scene in the vehicle.

“The discovery of a crater, alongside other evidence and eyewitness accounts, confirms that an explosive device was detonated. Fortunately, no lives were lost, but the building’s facade sustained considerable damage,” Iringe-Koko noted.

The police have collected samples from the site for further forensic analysis, and investigations are ongoing to apprehend those responsible.

In a related development, the police spokesperson also identified the primary suspect in a previous explosion that took place near the Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt during an anti-Fubara protest. The suspect, Mr. Preye Josiah, had been on the police wanted list and sustained serious injuries during the incident.

Iringe-Koko provided details of the earlier event, stating, “The suspect involved in the explosion along the Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway on June 25, 2024, has been identified as Preye Josiah, also known as Metusah, a 40-year-old native of Kabiama Community in Sagbama Local Government Area. Preye has undergone three major surgeries and is recovering well. He will be charged in court upon the completion of our investigations.”

The police continue to intensify their efforts to track down all individuals involved in these incidents and ensure they face justice.