A suicide bomber forcefully drove a jeep into the ThisDay Newspaper
office building, Jabi, Abuja at about 11a.m. on Thursday and detonated a
bomb.
The Chairman, Editorial board of ThisDay, Segun Adeniyi, said two
security men and the suicide bomber died while 5 of their support staff
were injured in the blast.
Adeniyi also confirmed similar attack on the Kaduna office but could not give details of casualties as he had not been briefed.
He also said they had received a warning on potential attack in
January and reported it to security agencies, but assumed it referred to
all media house.
The Kaduna blast occurred at the ThisDay and Sun newspapers offices on Kontagora Road, off Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna.
However, the FCT police commissioner said they were yet to get a
report on the Kaduna incident and he could not, as at press time, state
the number of casualties "until a detailed report is received from all
sister agencies".
The injured have been taken to hospitals in the city, where they are receiving medical attention.
As at the time of rescue operations, reports came of another attack
at the Leadership newspaper, which turned out to be a false alarm.
President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned the bomb blasts.
Jonathan, who received the news in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire where he
is attending an Extra-Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government
of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the
situation in Mali and Guinea-Bissau, described the attack as “ignoble,
misguided, horrendous and wicked”.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government (FG) to
continue to uphold the constitutional right to freedom of expression in
general and of press freedom in particular, pledging that criminal
elements bent on instilling fear in the minds of Nigerians and
foreigners will not succeed.
The President also urged media practitioners not to be dissuaded
from carrying out their fearless campaign for peace, justice and equity
as democracy cannot flourish without press freedom.
Jonathan commiserated with the bereaved families and other innocent
victims of the explosions, and also prayed that God would grant them
succour in their moment of grief and grant the souls of the departed
peaceful repose.
He assured all Nigerians that his administration remains undeterred
in its resolve to ensure the safety of lives and property at all times.-PUNCH
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