Last Thursday’s bomb attack at the Police Headquarters in Abuja, LEADERSHIP investigations can authoritatively confirm, happened while the inspector general of Police (IGP), Mr. Hafiz Ringim, was in the lift headed for his office.
The suicide bombers struck at the car park a few metres away. Impeccable sources told LEADERSHIP that the bombers came in two cars and had successfully beaten security checks at the entrance into Louis Edet House because the bomb devices brought by the terrorists were not frisked as had been the practice for all incoming vehicles.
Investigations reveal that the militants took advantage of the lee-way given to the IGP’s convoy to gain entrance into the building without passing through screening protocol. When they were challenged by a vigilant senior mobile police officer as to why they were closing in on the IGP’s convoy, the suspected suicide bombers, who came in a yellow Mercedes Benz, and a Honda car, reportedly disguised their identities and responded in fluent English, claiming that they were close associates of the IGP and had been holding some confidential discussions with him at home, but had come to the Louis Edet House at the IGP’s invitation to conclude the ‘matter’.
Unsure of their lame excuse for following the IGP’s convoy so closely, the officer in question was said to have slapped the militant and ordered a road traffic officer stationed at the gate to direct the terrorists to the visitors’ car park, where their papers and identities were to have been examined. Minutes after being forced to detour to the general car park, the twin–bomb went off, killing scores of civilians and police officers.
Further investigations reveal that the IGP’s convoy may have been tailed from his residence, unknown to his galaxy of armed police escorts.
LEADERSHIP checks reveal that the IGP has at least eight vehicles in his convoy. The actual number of vehicles in the convoy is determined by his mission at any given time. There may be more or fewer vehicles depending on the circumstances.
Meanwhile, LEADERSHIP investigations can also confirm that the leader of the Federal Fire Service, Wuse, Prince Uche, who led his team in fighting the blaze that consumed at least 75 cars at the police car park, sustained a major knee injury in the line of duty.
When LEADERSHIP called at the Wuse branch of the Fire Service to confirm the state of health of the injured top official, he was said to have been away from work yesterday as a result of the knee injury. The area commander of the Wuse branch of the Fire Service, Mr. Karebo Samsom, confirmed to LEADERSHIP that an officer had a knee injury but expressed the hope that the officer would recover speedily.
Attempts to reach him via telephone were abortive as his phone rang many times without a response.
“I want to believe that he would be fine. Mr Uche led the fire-fighting operation from this place to the police headquarters. We were alerted from our head office in Garki Area 10 that there had been a fire accident as a result of a bomb blast. This is part of the hazards of our job. What we do is that we try our best to minimize it and to ensure that there is no loss of life.
"But we have been trained to know what to do in such a situation. What happened was that the situation was so chaotic. When we arrived, people were still running from place to place in panic. Some even scaled the fence. So in the midst of the panic and general sense of insecurity, not knowing if any more cars were laden with bombs, we got to work. We were really not sure about our security but we believed it was part of our duties to put out the fire anyway.
"As we attempted to put out fire in one car, another went up in huge flame. We could still see some of the bomb devices on the floor. It was so hectic fighting the fire that followed the bomb. Luckily, in fire-fighting parlance, nobody takes glory. It’s team work. It took us nearly two hours to completely put out the fire. What compounded the fire was that most of the vehicles had full tank of fuel, so that increased the blaze.
“We had fire fighting equipment from the NNPC, National Assembly, the Air Force, the Federal Fire Service, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The NNPC luckily came with roughly 10,000 litres of water and 5,000 litres of foam solution. These helped a lot. The National Assembly fire truck was highly sophisticated that it could launch into the fire site without our men going close. This cooperation helped a lot to stop the fire after serious battle with it.”
Suspected Boko Haram sect members, Thursday morning, bombed the Police Headquarters Abuja an attack believed to have been in response to the IGP’s statement in Maiduguri, while receiving vehicles, including 10 armoured personnel carriers(APCs) donated to it by the Borno State government, that the days of the Boko Haram sect were numbered. The militant sect had claimed responsibility for the bombing.
More than 700 people may have lost their lives in hostilities with the militant sect across various parts of the northern states where it has a strong base. Founded in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, by Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf, the sect is said to have demanded the entrenchment of Sharia system of government in 12 northern states of the country. In July 2009, the Boko Haram launched its first attack in clashes between security forces and the group.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Government has condemned the June 16 suicide bombing at Nigeria Police Headquarters that killed eight persons and offered to assist Nigeria improve its security structure.
“Canadians stand together with the Nigerian people in deploring this act of terrorism. We will continue to assist the people and government of Nigeria as they strive to improve security and consolidate the gains it has made in democracy and the rule of law,” John Baird, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, said in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP.
He said that the blast, which was so loud that it was heard at the High Commission of Canada, should not deter Nigeria from continuing with its new-found zeal in reforming the country.
Baird disclosed that no Canadian citizen was hurt in the attack and expressed his country’s “sincere condolences to the families and friends of those killed” and wished “speedy recovery to the injured”.
leadership.ng/nga/articles/962/2011/06/20/how_suicide_bombers_evaded_bomb_detector.html
Tani Lansur 6 hours ago
ReplyDeleteI do not believe in all the gimmicks of squaring the blame police headquaters blast to boko haram. From the story above, apparently the search for the culprit of should be directed else where. 99.9% of those who knows boko haram memebers knows they do not speak fluent English, similarly, the level of sophistication of detonated bombs is some what similar to that of 1st October event and that of Abuja mammy market Army baracks where two cooporate dressed gentlemen whose description by those who saw them DO NOT MATCH THOSE FROM THE SECTION FROM WHICH BOKO HARAM CAME FROM left a brief case behind in a drinking palour, THE REST IS NOW HISTORY.
Now, why is it up to now the investigations that is to unravel those behind the two abuja blast remain inconclusive. There is grand design and a grand motives of all that is happening with aim of giving a bad name to certain section of Nigeria and sect. just like the grand plan of Kaduna south riot and its resulting effect that brought stolen mandate to the present governor.
For those who read or listen to a story of a blogger who is actually a male living in Ireland but claimed to be a female syrian lesbian being maltreated by the govt., until his identity was uncovered and there after he owns up to his grand motives, should know what am talking about.
We should all remember that, the world one day will come to an end, and each and every individual will be HELD accountable to his action in the present of the almighty.
buti_Sam 7 hours ago
ReplyDeleteWHAT QUALIFIES THE IGP TO MOVE AROUND WITH A CONVOY OF 8 or MORE VEHICLES? That in itself is a security risk. If the IGP can demostrate so much insecurity as to warrant such an array of escort vehicles, what becomes of the ordinary Nigerian he is paid to protect? Are those vehicles not better off deployed for operational purposes to rpelace those rickety, no-spare-tyre, no-fuel, no -head lamps ''crime fighting'' vehicles we see all over the country. THE POLICE NEEDS REFORM - from the top!
the_adviser 3 hours ago
ReplyDeleteWhy would IGP travel in an 8 vehicle convoy? isn't he making himself a soft target for terrorists. Of course any vehicle can tail such a large convoy without anyone noticing. Incognito should be the watchword and he needs to change his route to work everyday since he now knows he is a high profile target. I am surprised those 2 cars did not arouse suspicions until they arrived at the gate or is there a Boko Haram amongst the police who is feeding the terrorists information?
ima 8 hours ago
ReplyDeletethe whole blame should first and forth most goes to greedy politician, who want to be on seat for the rest of their life, like tura, IBB, Atiku, ciroma and the biggest of it Buhari, we all know them so no need for the police to start dismissing innocent people becaused we all know them but pretent we though we don't, if the country really wants to move forward, they should hit the nail on the wood
chekwube chukwu 6 hours ago
ReplyDeleteWake-up and face the challenges of our time or get consume by it,how could a car be trailing the IGP unnoticed for that long,an SSS monitoring unit should have being tailing the IGP'S car from behind,most cars going in convoy should have being secretly marked,tracked&monitored.Whatever is being done,sharing of State funds at the House should stop,elected legislatures should do their work and be contented with their salaries.Fight against corruption should be intensified,If nothing is done over this years of neglect of the people it is going to lead to a total break down of law&order which will eventually work towardst 2015 American predication.
Mairiga 11 hours ago
ReplyDeleteMAY GOD PROTECT US AND PREVENT FUTURE OCCURANCE OF SUCH UNFORTUNATE INCIDENCE.
SULAIMAN LADAN
Steve 3 hours ago in reply to Mairiga
ReplyDeleteEverthing is unfortunate in Nigeria , what is unfortunate in what has happened , I really don't get it. When people are given a responsibility and they cannot hold them for their inability to perform in that responsibilty. All positions in Nigeria is about "who you know", we don't base appointments on merit. Appointments is always base on how many millions of Naira i gave you when you were contesting for the Governorship or Presidential elections, my friend that is what is unfortunate. The time is here now, sign of the time. It is like a cancer cell, it has grown and has busted We are all in trouble. NURTW THUGS, BOKO HARAM, EGBESU BOYS, ETC, they are all product of corrupt and evil politicians. All we adore and worship is money in a very wrong way, my friend that is what is unfortunate.