BARELY four days after militants exploded two bombs at the premises of Shell Petroleum Development Company and Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited another bomb was yesterday detonated behind the new Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt.
Although there were no casualties, the explosion shrunk a container parked near the wall of the Government House and threw debris some metres from the point of explosion.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which claimed responsibility for the first two blasts, has also accepted responsibility for yesterday’s blowout and warned of another explosion, whose location it did not identify.
The group also promised to launch attacks on Niger Delta Governors, NDDC boss, Timi Alaibe and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Edmund Daukoru among others. The militants accused them of conniving with President Obasanjo to sabotage the cause of the Niger Delta and resource control agitation for selfish reasons.
“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta today, Saturday, December 23, 2006 successfully planted explosives in locations of strategic importance in the Niger Delta. These are contained in two cars, which will shortly be detonated,” the militant group warned in a statement.
If the militants actually planted two bombs whereas only one has exploded, that implies that another blast is imminent.
The exploded bomb was planted in a car, whose make has become impossible to identify due to its mangled form from the explosion but its registration number, BD 711 ABJ was still visible from the burnt number plate.
However, the bonnet of the car, which was retrieved some metres from the scene of the blast, was almost intact with its painting in green. It was removed by bomb disposal experts, who also collected other samples from the site, for analysis of the explosion.
Some eyewitnesses said the explosion was massive and threw up smoke and fire while vehicles passing the vicinity at the time it went off had their glasses shattered.
On his experience at the blast site, Alli Oruitemeka, who was driving his Peugeot 504 station wagon, told The Guardian that he suddenly heard an explosion, which threw smoke and fire into the air.
“I was driving by this place when suddenly I heard a loud bang and I saw smoke, debris and fire all at the same time,” he said.
“When everything died down, I thought I had been burnt but I discovered that it was the glasses of my vehicle that shattered. I thank God for surviving,” he added.
Miss Hannah Sylvanus, a 15-year-old passing by the point at the time of explosion, said: “As I dey pass the place to Church, na him I hear gboo and I shouted Jesus. Na so, so smoke and fire come full everywhere. Now I no dey hear well again.”
Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Sir Gabriel Toby, who visited the scene of the explosion, expressed dismay that while people were in celebration mood, others were busy carrying out sinister acts.
He pleaded with those behind the explosions to respect the period and allow people to celebrate the Christmas and New Year in peace. He was, however, grateful to God that there were no casualties.
“Governors of the Niger Delta, Edmund Daukoru, Timi Alaibe and a host
of others have acted against the interest of the people of the Niger Delta, sabotaging all efforts at resource control for selfish reasons. We will henceforth carry out attacks against these traitors, in addition to attacks against oil installations”, the group said.
According to them, two bombs were planted and one detonated while the
other one failed and had been retrieved by their men. They said they
were going to move aginst the properties of those that connived to
make achieving their aim impossible.
Meanwhile, the state government has dismissed reports that the said bomb exploded in the government House, pointing out that it exploded at Williams Jumbo, which is the road directly behind the Government House.