A car bomb exploded outside a state governor’s office in Nigeria’s southern oil hub on Saturday, the first time a government installation was targeted by a militant group that has repeatedly kidnapped foreign oil workers and occupied pumping stations run by multinationals.
No one was killed or injured, said Port Harcourt Deputy Governor Gabriel Tony, who was inside when the bomb exploded. Police on the scene confirmed that there were no injuries.
Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria has seen its crude output cut by a quarter this year by attacks from criminal gangs and militants seeking political influence. Major international oil firms such as Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Eni SpA and Total SA operate under tight security and with police guards in the West African country.
The midday vehicle explosion in Port Harcourt demolished part of a fence surrounding the building that houses the state governor’s office and other major government offices for southern Rivers state. Shards of steel from the vehicle pierced a nearby shipping container.
A major militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or Mend, claimed responsibility for the bomb in an e-mail. The group, which had warned earlier in the day that it planned to set off two bombs, said the other malfunctioned and was reclaimed.
The incident is the first time Mend has directly targeted a government building. In previous attacks, oil installations and personnel have been targeted.