Abuja tense after Police HQ bombs
Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) witnessed yet another tragic bomb-related incident on Thursday, 17th June when an explosive device went off at – of all places – Louis Edet House in Abuja, headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force. The explosion occurred at about 10:45am. Authorities later explained that the driver of the car which […]
Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) witnessed yet another tragic bomb-related incident on Thursday, 17th June when an explosive device went off at – of all places – Louis Edet House in Abuja, headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force. The explosion occurred at about 10:45am. Authorities later explained that the driver of the car which carried the bomber, and who died in the explosion, was trailing the convoy of Inspector General of Police Hafiz Ringim. Police authorities soon announced the implementation of measures like stop-and-search on vehicles plying city streets.
The Permanent Secretary of the FCTA, Dr. Biodun Nathaniel directed random checks on vehicles moving in and out of Abuja. He directed all security agents including the FCT Command, the Nigeria Police Force and the Road Safety as well Vehicle Inspection Officers to randomly search vehicles.
From Friday morning, all over Abuja, were stern-looking policemen carrying out impromptu searches on cars. The police headquarters was also densely populated by policemen and all manners of security vehicles drove around the general area. Even passers-by had tense looks on their faces and there was visible discomfort among both civilians and security personnel.
The thick, billowing smoke that followed the bomb Thursday, all gone now, allows the shattered glass windows of the huge edifice more noticeable. Burnt-out cars still remained in the debris-covered car park.
Even children were indirectly affected by the explosion, as its impact was heavy on a nearby day care centre owned by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and located in Asokoro. Eyewitnesses around the school told our reporter that the kids were crying when the blast shook their building and destroyed some parts of it. Of the kids’ rescue from the premises, an obviously-shaken resident said it was sad and scary to watch. “We were working at a construction site just beside the school when we heard the blast. But they were all evacuated safely. But some of their staff got hurt by the blast and were taken to the hospital,” he said.
A day after the blast yesterday, Weekly Trust observed somewhat wary parents and guardians coming over to enquire if the crèche program would continue, but most of the responses they received suggested that the kids will have to remain at home until everything is calm.
Bala Inuwa, a construction worker on a site near Louis Edet House said debris from the bomb blast spot was seen around their street, behind Protea Hotel. He said: “We even saw mangled pieces of human flesh and some body parts.”
Visitors lodging at nearby Protea Hotel, were said by an unnamed hotel staff to be checking out for fear of the unknown. “But I’m sure things will return to normal,” she said, adding that even staff were visibly shaken. Another said he wasn’t sure if it is connected to the blast. But Weekly Trust observed a number of taxi cabs in front of the hotel, being boarded.
However, the Force Headquarters blast has caused tension in the federal capital and security operatives have embarked on a serious random stop and search as ordered by the Federal capital Territory Administration and other security agencies.
Shopping centres all around Abuja were also not busy as is normally the case on Fridays. Nathaniel Dimka, seen at Grand Square in Abuja’s Central Area, said his girlfriend actually refused to accompany him to the place. “She’s afraid,” Dimka said, adding that several people he knows have said they will not socialise in crowded places for fear of another attack.
At Silverbird Galleria, beside Yar’adua Centre, also in Central Area, Chinyere Smith, 26, told Weekly Trust that she decided to come and watch a movie to escape from the disturbing news of the bomb. “Also, I feel the bombers attacked the Police HQ because of the Inspector General’s comments recently,” she added. A security guard at the complex said patronage was far from what Fridays normally obtained. “People are scared and there’s a bit of tension,” he said.
Members of the Jama’atu ahlus Sunnah lid da’awati wal Jihad, popularly called Boko Haram, had said Thursday that they were responsible for the bombing, dubbed ‘the nation’s first’ by the press, at the police HQ in Abuja. They also said their prime target was the Inspector-General Hafiz Ringim. A statement from a senior member of the group, said the attack was to prove a point to all who doubt the capabilities of the sect. The sect had two hours earlier, detonated a bomb in Damboa town, about 87 kilometres from Maiduguri, Borno State capital, killing four children.
Referring to Ringim in the statement, signed by sect leader Abu Fatima: “Of recent, [Ringim] has been going to places and making unguarded utterances to the effect that he will crush us in a number of days. We attacked his base in order to show him that actions speak louder than words.” Security has been beefed up in Maiduguri and its environs.
Yesterday, President Goodluck Jonathan visited Louis Edet House, and at the site of the bombing, described the incident as an attack on the nation, saying everyone, including himself, could be a target. “It’s not just the Inspector-General that was their target. Everybody is a target when it comes to terrorist attacks,” Jonathan said. “Terrorists will aim at the top. If they can bomb the president, they will do it,” he added.
Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Dr. Abdulateef Adegbite, said it was unfortunate the way things had turned out in the country. He said it was natural for humans to have grievances but very important that they were discussed in an amicable and peaceful manner. He said the council was in support of the Federal Government putting up a commission to look into the lasting solution and dialogue with the members of Boko Haram.
Dr. Adegbite also sent out a plea to members of the Boko Haram sect. “Our plea is that you cease fire and embrace peace. We can’t continue to go on like this,” he said. Asked whether the Supreme Council for Ismalic Affairs has tried to reach out to Boko Haram, he said it has been difficult because they do not have identified faces nor do they have a standard contact address.”
Former Inspector-General of police, Ibrahim Ahmadu Coommasie, told Weekly Trust that the the attacks targeted at the highest ranking police officer of the country is not only embarrassing, but throws a great challenge to the security agencies and in particular the nation’s intelligence community. He pointed out that the way violence is becoming the order of the day in the country has exposed gaps in the nation’s security network. “The government has to be more serious now. It’s not time to apportion blame. The entire security network has to go back to the drawing table to find what is really wrong because you cannot check terrorism and other security threats without authentic intelligence.”
Among areas to be focused on, according to Coomassie, are a total overhaul of the nation’s security as well as response to rising security threats by addressing attendant socio-economic factors in the country. He then blamed the initial handling of the Boko Haram matter, as well as the extra-judicial killings that followed as responsible for the escalation of the violence. “Authorities should dialogue with them with a view to finding a lasting solution,” Coomassie said.
Ex-Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State also condemned the attack as callous. Through his Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Sule Ya’u Sule, Shekarau said the attack should be condemned by all lovers of peace in the country. The former governor challenged the police and other security agencies to intensify intelligence-gathering work, adding that with cooperation from the public, it will be easy to defeat those threatening the security, unity and stability of Nigeria. Shekarau called on President Goodluck Jonathan to do everything in his power to ensure that the Boko Haram threat is solved.
But Abuja residents still remain apprehensive. Yesterday at the Jumma’a prayers at the National Mosque, under the watchful eyes of security operatives, Muslim faithful went about their activities. An engineer called Hassan Jibril, 31, told Weekly Trust that he felt uncomfortable because of a heavy police presence. “But if that’s what will calm people down, then I guess they’re welcome,” he said as he went into the mosque to pray.