- IBB, Atiku, Saraki, Others Call for Probe
- Death Toll Rises to 12, 101 Affected
President Goodluck Jonathan revealed yesterday that he knows “the person” behind the bomb attacks that marred the October 1 Golden Jubilee celebration last Friday, reiterating his vow that the person(s) will be brought to book.
The president’s remark came at a time when prominent Nigerians, including former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Kwara State Governor, Dr Bukola Saraki, former Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Chief Solomon Lar, among others, have called for a probe of the disaster to ensure culprits are punished.
President Jonathan who spoke at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament international colloquium marking the 50th Independence anniversary of African countries yesterday in Abuja, dismissed a press release by a group claiming responsibility. Jonathan claimed that the violent group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), was not involved in the blasts.
The president said: “The name of MEND association that operates in Niger Delta was only used. I grew up in the Niger Delta so nobody can claim to know Niger Delta better than myself, because I am from the Niger Delta. I know the person behind the attack and the person sponsoring it. They are terrorists, not MEND”. However, MEND hand, on Friday, claimed responsibility for the bomb blasts.
There were report that Henry Okah, a leader of MEND who was granted amnesty but now living in South Africa may have a hand in the blasts. The President added that the government would soon overhaul the security system to address the challenges of insecurity in the country.
Speaking with journalists after a visit to victims of Friday’s bomb blast at the National Hospital, Abuja, the president said security remained a priority of his administration.
He said that the actions were sponsored by “people who are flaunting MEND and the Niger Delta to perpetrate their evil acts.
“The government knows them and would fish them out as investigations proceed,” he said.
He promised to pick the bills and also take care of those who lost their lives in the dastardly acts. Jonathan said the government would also provide welfare to the families of the victims, especially those who were breadwinners.
According to him, the government is on the trail of the sponsors of the act and that they would all be brought to book.
Is the opposition to blame?
A source in The Presidency told Sunday Trust last night that opposition figures were being fingered over the attacks because there were security reports that they were going to sponsor the attacks and that preventive measures were actually taken before the event on Friday.
The source said: “There was a debate as to whether President Jonathan should go for the parade on Friday because of the security report, but when the security agencies said the venue was secure, he had to go.”
The source added that because of the political meaning being given to the blasts, some top Nigerians who were invited to the celebration, but who failed to attend, may be questioned “in the coming days” by security operatives, as the so-called security report, according to the Presidency source, had claimed that some $100 million was voted for the mischief, and that elements in the opposition may have been involved in the plot.
Former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, both contenders for the presidency in 2011, as President Jonathan were conspicuously absent at the venue on Friday. The spokesman to the former Vice-President, Malam Garba Shehu, told Sunday Trust last night that his boss received the invitation very late and he couldn’t change the plans he had made before he received it. Malam Shehu said he had previously claimed that his boss didn’t receive the invitation, only to discover that it actually came, but very late. A spokesman to former President Babangida told Sunday Trust that the man had other important events to attend to on that day.
Heads of Government shun colloquium
Meanwhile, Heads of States of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) yesterday boycotted the colloquium meeting which was supposed to be the biggest and most prestigious historical event in the life of ECOWAS parliament community institution, auspiciously as a result of the bomb explosion at Abuja during the jubilee celebration. Those of them who attended the jubilee celebration did not wait for the colloquium.
President Goodluck, who is the chair of the occasion, was the only head of state present.
More than two hundred dignitaries were invitatied by ECOWAS parliamentarians, current and former heads of states, speakers of national assemblies, heads of states, speakers of national assemblies, heads of jovernments, more than a hundred members of national parliaments, sub-regional integration parliaments, but only few attended.
In his speech, the president, said “many countries in our continent are plagued by difficult challenges ranging from poverty, poor healthcare delivery, corruption, insecurity and maladministration as a result the continent is in dire need of solutions to these critical problems, solutions which must be well articulated and fully implemented to uplift the living standards of our populace”.
Why the British didn’t attend the Golden Jubilee Celebration
The United Kingdom authorities confirmed to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) yesterday that its dignitaries pulled out of Friday’s parade marking Nigeria’s 50th anniversary, because of the security report they had obtained.
The Queen’s representative was due to attend but did not. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown cancelled his visit to the country.
A UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson confirmed it had “received indications of a heightened security risk” and took immediate action to update travel advice after the MEND warning on Friday morning.
The FCO spokesperson said: “Security for VIP visitors is always kept under rigorous review. We remain in constant contact with the Nigerian authorities on this.”
Also, Reuters news agency quoted a South African police spokeswoman as saying she could “neither confirm or deny” the reported arrest and release of Henry Okah in South Africa on Friday. Reports said Okah’s residence was searched on suspicion that he was part of the plot to bomb Nigerian locations on Friday, but that he was promptly released by the police.
Death toll now 12 – Police
Nigerian police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, confirmed that 12 people had been killed in the attacks, with 17 injured, and that a manhunt had been launched.
“We have mounted a check throughout the city,” he said.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan called the attacks a “wicked act of desperation”.
Ordinary Nigerians expressed surprise at the blasts.
Elkana Habila told Reuters: “This is a very massive blow to the Nigerian government... and it will portray the country in a very bad light. It will scare away foreign investors.”
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