The Uganda Police were on Sunday forced to employ control detonation for an explosive device that was reportedly found with a suspected suicide bomber.
According to reports, the suspect was intercepted before he entered Rubaga Miracle Centre led by Pastor Robert Kayanja on the outskirts of Uganda’s capital, Kampala.
SSP Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, says that the suspected terrorist has been arrested.
“Intelligence agencies have been picking intel that terrorists are still interested in hitting us…Today morning they picked intelligence that places of worships were likely to be hit today and during the intelligence briefing they also got information that one terrorist had been sent out to carry the mission. They followed the terrorist and picked him and was arrested and the bag immediately set aside for further management,” Onyango said.
He added, “When we brought our technology, they confirmed that in the bag was an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). We had to do controlled detonation.”
According to details provided by Onyango, the reported bomber had placed placed nails, motor battery, phone and detonator among others in a food flask which was supposed to act as the IED.
He warned that three more bombs are still in public. Onyango also gave the name of the suspect as Abrahim Kintu who is now under custody,
Commenting on the incident, Pastor Kayanja said that they have God to thank for his protection.
“We thank God, we thank our security agencies…probably it would have brought down the whole church. This is my message to all Ugandans, this is not a hoax, this is not something that people are used to…if there was no vigilance today, probably we would be mourning today,” Pastor Kayanja told the press.
In July, the United Kingdom issued a travel advisory warning that terrorists are plotting to hit Uganda.
