Twenty five years after Dele Giwa, pioneer Newswatch editor-in-chief, was assassinated by parcel bomb, an attempt to target some top management staff of Superscreen Television through a similar device on Tuesday in Lagos failed as premature detonation saw the “mail man” as the victim. The bearer of the parcel bomb was said to be seeking his way to the offices of the television company in the 10-storey building when the apparently timed bomb exploded before he could reach his destination as the lift was not working. The broadcast house is on the 9th floor. Investigations revealed that the incident which occurred at about 1-1.30pm, shook the entire 10 storey building on No 151 Ikorodu Road, Onipanu Bus Stop into pandemonium as everybody in the building and its environs scampered into safety. The unidentified young man was said to be making conversation on his telephone on his way to the 9th floor office of Superscreen when one of the bombs was said to have exploded on his face and as well cutting off his two limbs. According to eye witnesses, no sooner that the said young man was thrown off balance by the impact of the explosion on the building than a polythene bag containing three unexploded bombs fell off his hands on the floor. Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Frank Mba, declared the building safe few minutes after some Anti-Bomb Squad unit of the Nigerian Police had visited the building and detonated the remaining three unexploded bombs. He further informed journalists that the situation had been put under control by officers and men of the Nigeria Police. The station has since been shut down.
Dec232009