Moments after the commencement of the celebrations with over 30 foreign heads of state or their representatives from Europe, the Americas and the African continent present, the bombs went off, killing several persons and destroying property worth several millions of naira.
Following the outrage that greeted the bomb blast, MEND through a statement signed by Jomo Gbomo declared that the bombings took place and innocent persons died because security agencies failed in their duties even after they had been warned ahead of the attack.
The statement read then, “The irresponsible attitude of the government security forces is to blame for the loss of lives. They were given 5 days prior notice which led to the harassment of Henry Okah on Thursday September 30 in South Africa .
Okah has never been involved in any MEND operation but has been blamed for every attack which is strange to us.
“The security forces were also warned one full hour to the first bomb blast ahead of the general alert sent to the media and told to steer the public from all parked cars which was not done.”
Continuing, it said, “The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) deeply regrets the avoidable loss of lives during our bomb attack in Abuja on Friday October 1, 2010. Our hearts go to the families of those killed who we know were sympathetic to our cause.”
It is against this background that Wednesday’s terse statement from MEND warning Nigerians to stay away from the Eagle Square , Abuja , the usual venue of the nation’s independence anniversary celebrations, on October 1, is being taken with all the seriousness, the threat deserves.
In the terse statement, the Movement said it intended to “place bombs within and in the immediate vicinity of Eagle Square ”, adding that “The general public is strongly advised to consider this as a first and final warning”.
The threat is seen as sign of protest by the who feels that after 51 years of independence, Nigerians have nothing to celebrate.
Before MEND’s threat came however, that of the Boko Haram sect to carry out a suicide bombing attack on a notable federal government asset in the FCT had resulted in security agencies in the FCT in particular and the country in general stepping up the tempo in security operations in and around Abuja.
Explaining that most of the victims of the bomb blasts met their death because of the curiosity of the average Nigerian, the source said that when the first explosion took place at about 11 45am, only a few people sustained injuries.
He added that it was when scores of peoples trooped to the scene of the first blast to heck out what had happened, that they fell prey to the second blast resulting in about 14 dead and about 50 persons sustaining various degrees of injury.
“The implication of the October 1st blasts is that Nigerians should be more vigilant and stay away from any explosions of any kind in the future. However, security measures put in place by these agencies for Saturday’s, anniversary, which was mostly concentrated on the Boko Haram menace and which was believed to be going according to plan, changed following the sudden and surprise statement that emanated from MEND thereby adding salt to injury.
Following these threats, which resulted in President Jonathan summoning an enlarged security meeting of the nation’s security chiefs and governors of some states earlier targeted by Boko Haram, the agencies in particular, the army were said to have increased the alert status to that of ‘red’ to ensure the planned bombings by both Boko Haram and MEND did not see the light of day.
The Nigeria Airforce was therefore tasked with carrying out helicopter patrols of the FCT in conjunction with the Nigeria Police force to ensure that they feed agents of the army, navy, Airforce and mobile police personnel in the FCT who would be on ground patrol information on any suspicious elements on a round the clock basis.
Already all security agencies including Para-military agencies have been directed to commence the evacuation of all broken down or abandoned vehicles in all roads in Abuja while more cordons are being erected on possible and suspicious spots that might be utilized by hoodlums.
Before the MEND statement, the shocked release of Mr. Ali Tishau, a Boko Haram chieftain by a sister security agency, after he was detained by the Police, and the fact he may have released vital information to his fellow adherents was believed to have woken up the presidency to the collusion of some security agencies with the Islamic terrorists sect.
With the development, the president and indeed the nation could now understand the seeming non cooperative synergy which security agencies claim had been existing between them.
It is against this backdrop that sources told Saturday Vanguard that senior officers of some security organizations in the country, will be made to pay dearly for the backbiting and double dealing amongst them which is hampering federal government’s sustained war on terrorism that is currently spearheaded by the Boko Haram sect.
Already, there has been a change of baton at the Defence Intelligence Agency with the appointment of Major General Sani Yakubu Audu as the Chief of Defence Intelligence and this is seen as a pointer to putting round pegs in round holes and correcting some perceived detrimental decisions that has worked against government in the fight to rout the Boko Haram group.
What many people did not know however, is that the decision of government to put things right with the redeployment of the former CDI, was resisted by some top shots in the nation’s security sector who felt enough consultation was not made, even when it was glaring that things were amiss, until President Jonathan himself put his feet down and ordered that government’s order be obeyed.
VANGUARD NIGERIA
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