Twenty-three year old Abdulfarouk Umar Abdulmutallab, son of former Chairman of First Bank Plc, Alhaji Umar Mutallab, was Saturday in Michigan, United States arrested for trying to blow up North-west Delta Airlines flight on Christmas day.

He was charged in a make-shift court session at the University of Michigan hospital, where the suspect was being treated for burns. He had bandages in his hands, spoke in English, and told the district attorney that he could not afford to pay for an attorney.

He was accused of “willful attempt to destroy an aircraft within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States and wilfully placing and causing to be placed a destructive device upon and or proximity to such aircraft.”

In a five-page affidavit deposed by Theodore James, FBI special agent before District Judge Paul Borman, the justice department said Abdul Mutallab had a device containing a high explosive attached to his body on flight 253 from Amsterdam.

Also Saturday, Alhaji Mutallab, who was former Federal Commissioner for Economic Development in the Murtala/Obasanjo administration, was quizzed for hours by a combined team of the nation’s security agencies in Abuja over the bombing incident involving his son.

The Justice Department said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab who was born on December 22, 1986 had a device containing a high explosive attached to his body on Flight 253 from Amsterdam.

A preliminary analysis of the device shows that it contained PETN, also known as pentaerythritol, according to the affidavit filed in federal court in Detroit.

Abdulmutallab allegedly told passengers that his stomach was upset, then pulled a blanket over himself, the affidavit said. Passengers then heard popping noises that sounded like fireworks and smelled smoke before at least one passenger climbed over seats and tackled Abdulmutallab.

“Had this alleged plot to destroy an airplane been successful, scores of innocent people would have been killed or injured,” U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement. “We will continue to investigate this matter vigorously, and we will use all measures available to our government to ensure that anyone responsible for this attempted attack is brought to justice.”

Abdulmutallab claimed to have been instructed by al-Qaida to detonate the plane over U.S. soil, said a U.S. law enforcement official. But others cautioned that such claims could not be verified immediately.

London’s Metropolitan Police also were working with U.S. officials, said a spokeswoman who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.

The father of the suspect Mutallab, told The Associated Press on Saturday that he didn’t know exactly where his son was but planned to speak with Nigerian authorities.

“I believe he might have been to Yemen, but we are investigating to determine that,” the father said.

Mutallab who left Funtua, his home town in Katsina State early Saturday morning for Abuja after hearing about the news of his son’s attempted bombing and arrest reported to the security agencies at the Federal Capital Territory.

Our correspondent gathered that as at the time of going to press Mutallab was still with the security agencies.

Mutallab, admitted that the man arrested over a botched attempt to blow up a US airliner on a flight from Amsterdan to Detroit is his son.

“I have been receiving telephone calls from all over the world about my child who has been arrested for an alleged attempt to bomb a plane,” Mutallab said.

“I am really disturbed. I would not want to say anything at the moment until I put myself together. I will address a press conference on the issue on Monday. I have been summoned by the Nigerian security and I am on my way to Abuja to answer the call,’’ he said.

Family sources said Mutallab has been uncomfortable with his son’s extreme religious views and had six months ago reported his activities to United States’ Embassy, Abuja and Nigerian security agencies.