The Federal Government has said that the National Bureau of the Interpol based at the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters had issued an international red alert for the search and arrest of Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche,  who allegedly fled to Sudan and believed to have masterminded the April 14 bomb blast at Nyanya, Abuja.

This was made known by the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Mike Omeri, at a joint national briefing on the update of the recent Chibok abduction and other security matters.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, further explained that “we, therefore, believe with this red alert, Interpol will galvanise everything possible worldwide to join in the search and possible arrest of the suspect.”

Omeri also urged religious leaders in the country to be mindful of their utterances concerning the recent Chibok abduction, to avoid turning terrorism to religious issue.

“Interpol red alert is an international request for cooperation. It is usually issues by the National Bureau of any of the member states and in this case, it is being issued at the instance of the Nigerian National Bureau of Interpol.

Interpol red alert operates as an international warrant of arrest and consequently mandates security forces in its current 190 member states to join in the search and possible arrest of the fugitive who has been so cited in the Interpol red alert notice. We therefore believe that with this, Interpol will galvanise security forces worldwide to join in the search and consequent arrest and perhaps extradition of the fugitive who has been declared wanted by the DSS,” he said.

Also, the federal government has appealed to religious leaders in the country not to allow their members reduce the ongoing security challenge to a religious issue.

Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, at the briefing urged religious leaders to restrain their members from being misled to believe the country’s security challenge is a religious war.

“The federal government strongly appeals to religious leaders, especially the Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN), and the Jamaatul Nasril Islam (JNI), to restrain their members from being misled by unscrupulous persons into reducing the current situation into religious conflicts. Government is still monitoring issues and will do everything possible to rescue the girls alive,” he said.

Omeri stated further that some suspects apprehended by the DSS had made useful confessions which would help the security agencies in their operations, adding that details of the operation will be made public.