Bomb Scare At NASS, Federal Secretariat In Abuja

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Bomb Scare At NASS, Federal Secretariat In Abuja

Adesuwa Tsan, By UCHENNA AWOM, Edegbe Odemwingie

— April 16, 2014

Barely a day after the bomb blast at the Nyanya Motor Park that claimed many lives, workers at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, yesterday abandoned their offices at about 3:30pm when an alarm was raised of a suspected bomb attack by an unknown group.
When LEADERSHIP visited the secretariat which harbours most of the government ministries, the place was thrown into chaos as workers were seen running home for fear of the unknown.
One of the workers at the secretariat, Mrs Biola Adeoye explained that security agents instructed all of the workers to evacuate the buildings and they had to oblige considering what happened in Nyanya. She also noted that she never saw or heard of any bomb blast but she had to run first before looking.
However, the FCT police public relations officer, DSP Hyelhira Daniel told LEADERSHIP that there was nothing like a bomb scare in the  area, adding that it was a false alarm. She stated that the area is safe and people should go about their work without any fear.
Meanwhile, in a bid to ensure the safety of passengers in the federal capital, the FCT administration has revealed that it would look into the possibility of installing special mechanisms to detect metal or explosive devices in FCT high capacity buses to preserve human lives.
The Nyanya bomb blast was targeted at the FCT high capacity buses, where many lives were lost and several other passengers injured. About 17 of the buses were destroyed.
In a related development, panic engulfed the National Assembly yesterday over a rumoured bomb scare within the complex. The rumour caused pandemonium forcing some lawmakers, staffers of NASS and banks within the premises to hurriedly close their offices.
The rumour started spreading around 2pm. Legislative aides and civil servants were seen in groups discussing the development. They hinged their fears on an alleged strange movement of a group of people whose mission to the National Assembly was said to be suspicious.
It was learnt that the immediate response of the security operatives whose attention was drawn to the suspicious strange movement, actually heightened the tension by creating fears in the minds of the workers.
It was observed that the security agents, comprising the police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, were immediately drafted to the major entrances of the complex, searching both visitors and workers.
The action forced senior officers to direct their subordinates to lock up their offices and close for the day to avert any possible danger.
The ensuing panic affected workers of banks and other private establishments, who also hurriedly locked up their doors to customers.
Some of the workers who spoke with our correspondent said their superior bosses directed them to close and go home.
Reacting to the development,  the Acting Serjeant-at -Arms of the National Assembly,  Mr. Ibrahim Ndako, told journalists that there was nothing like bomb scare in the complex and attributed the workers’ panic to mere rumous.
Ndako said, “There is nothing like bomb scare. It is just a rumour. Those banks chosed to close because we have assured them that there is nothing like that. Its just mere rumour.