A Mobile Policeman attached to Union Homes Company along Nnamdi Azikiwe Street on Lagos Island today averted what could have been another bombing disaster at densely populated area which could have claimed many lives in the state.
Eye witnesses account revealed that three grenades were planted in front of the company gate but was discovered at about a little after 8am.
A foreign national suspected to be connected with the bombs; whose identity could not be gotten as at time of filing this report has been arrested by an official and handed over to the team of Police Bomb squad from Ikeja Police command.
It was learnt that the bombs were programmed to explode around 1pm when trading and other activities on the island would be at its peak. People in the area explained that the policeman became suspicious about a man who drove to the car park in Sport Utility Vehicle and started distributing N1,000 notes to beggars at the spot. Thereafter, he directed the beggars to vacate the area before he drove off.
Although the Policeman could not be reached for detail information, our reporter learnt that he moved closer to the beggars to know what is happening only to discover the device. He immediately alerted other policemen around and officials of CBD to chase traders and passers-by away from the spot to avert recording casualties while the Police Anti-Bomb Units were also informed.
Findings by our reporter revealed that the arrested foreign national is a Nigerien who came out of the crowds and headed towards the device when officials asked him to go back but he refused.
During interview of the CBD official, Mr. Kareem Saidi, he said: “I asked the man to go back but he refused. He insisted to go to the spot of the grenades. I then arrested him and handed him over to the Policemen from Ebute-Ero station who took him away to their station”, he said.
An Anti-bomb squad man who took away the grenades around 10.45am pleaded for anonymity when questioned. He however said the devices have been programmed to explode around 1pm which could have caused heavy disaster.
The police officer added that if the devices were not discovered and successfully went off, all the structures within 70 metres to the spot would have beeen affected.
Meanwhile, business activities in the area was disturbed for about four hours but later came back to live. The devices have been taken away, while police vehicles including Anti-bomb truck was stationed in the area.
In the mean time, efforts to get more information from some Senior Police officers who were at the scene proved abortive. A call put through to the State Police PRO, Ngozi Braide, was not responded to as at the time of filing this report.
Source: Daily Trust
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