BOMBSCARE IN THE SEAT OF POWER

Confusion enveloped the Federal Capital Territory on Monday following the reported planting of a bomb at the Nigerian Postal Services in Area 10, Abuja. Many FCT residents became apprehensive as they sent out text messages, warning their friends and relations to steer clear of the NIPOST office. Our correspondent learnt that the police anti-bomb squad arrived at the scene and removed a package suspected to be Improvised Explosive Device from the post office premises. The Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Mr. Aderenle Shinaba, who briefed reporters on the scare, however, said there was no bomb explosion in any part of the territory. He said what was rumoured as explosion was the sound from a controlled detonation carried out on the suspected package by men of the anti-bomb squad. Shinaba said following information received by the command on the object about 10 a.m., men from the Explosive Ordnance Department were dispatched to the scene. He said, “ The true position is that there was no bomb anywhere in Abuja today (Monday). At about 10am, we got information that there is something that was packaged in a carton that looked like bomb at the gate of NIPOST in Area 10. And because of the security situation in the country generally, the people became apprehensive and they were scared, so we had to move in promptly.” The commissioner stated that in order to avoid a similar incident in Kaduna State where an explosion went off and killed a policeman, the anti-bomb squad men, examined the object first before carrying out a pseudo-detonation. He said, “It was that noise of controlled detonation that sent shivers down the spines of many people and rumours flew around. At the end of the day, what we discovered was that it was a package containing sand as well as tiles. There was nothing to indicate that it had anything to do with any form of explosive. It has nothing to do with Improvise Explosived Device.’’ The CP urged the residents to go about their businesses, saying there was no cause for alarm. The Postmaster-General of the Federation, Ibrahim Baba, had earlier told journalists that the parcel was kept there last Friday by a suspected lunatic. PUNCH