A loud explosion rocked an area Abuja on Thursday followed by smoke and ambulances headed in the direction of the blast, with injuries and casualties reported.
Details remain sketchy but several witnesses, including the chairman of ThisDay’s editorial board, said the blasts were the result of a suicide attack.
“The suicide bomber came in a jeep,” Olusegun Adeniyi told reporters at the scene in Abuja.
“(Security guards) opened the gate for them… The guy drove in through the gate and rammed into the building and exploded,” Mr Adeniyi said.
According to a Red Cross official at the scene, three people are reported to have been killed in the blast at ThisDay newspapers in Abuja.
But Mr Yushau Shuaib a National Emergency Management Agency spokesman said the blast “occurred inside the premises of a national newspaper,” adding that “a preliminary investigation seems to indicate that the explosive device was planted somewhere within the premises, not likely a case of suicide bombing.”
Police and military personnel have surrounded the Abuja office.
An AFP correspondent heard the blast and saw ambulances heading towards a district where a bus station and newspaper office are located.
A police spokesman said “we heard something like that happened, but we don’t have the details yet.”
A spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency said “it’s true there was an explosion at Jabi (district).”
“NEMA officials are on the ground,” said Yushau Shuaib. “They are trying to move those injured to the hospitals, but we don’t have any information on casualties yet.”
There are also reports of a second explosion in Thisday newspaper’s Kaduna office which is reported to have killed at least 10 people.
According to Sahara reporters, the attack occured along Kontagora road by Ahmadu Bello way in Kaduna.
The Kaduna explosion happened outside a complex housing a number of newspapers, including ThisDay.
A suspect has been arrested and is thought to be a member of the Boko Haram group, AFP reports police as saying.
No one or group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, although the dreaded Boko Haram sect has staged similar attacks.
What a world? A world of insecurity ,the government should do something oh.i pray that the gud lord grant them eternal rest and console the families of the diseased.
God save dis country 4rm blood shed, bring all dos pepatrating evil down, may der evil deeds cut up with dem. I pray 4 d repose of dos dat died may God grant dem rest. Amen
May God save us from these evil doers.
It only God that will help our country nigeria ,one thing i knw is that many days for a thief one day for owners.God will surely bring those pepatrators down.just a day.
D emir should talk to there pple.
May d soul of those affected rest in peace. Where re we heading to in our country re we really Gods fearing pple. I dnt think so. May the law catch up wit them.
M
Next time, vote for someone who we know what he will do. Buhari wouldn’t allow this nonsense or the way people r stealing d country dry, we don’t want him again , no food , no lite , no water , no education, yet no security with dis useless leader …………. My fellow nigerians we must stand up to say no to goodluck cos is badluck now. He shld go …
Should b on deck even Buhari nd u by being security conscious we are one nigeria God wil help us all
Adetuji, you are a very big full by saying that good luck is now bad luck. Sorry please mind your speach.
Godwin, what is wrong with what he said.. He is right!!! He is not a big full.. He just said his mind.. And that’s Τ̲̅ђε̲̣̣̣̥ truth!
Nigerians are always wrong in their approach to matters. I hear people saying God this God that, God go God come. Listen people, God has made everything available 4 ur own use and u have to use ur own discretion to handle them. In a country where God had already laid down too many treasures, but the people turned a blind eye and abuses those things, what do u expect God to do? He has His own duty to perform and He has delegated some 4 u to perform on ur own. The type of mineral and human resources God laid down here is number one in the whole world. But our people are satanically diverted. Even the Israelites, God own chosen people suffered tremendously 4 their stiffneck attitudes how much more the people who worships God only on their lips? Our leaders are paying homages and allegence to the devil and u expects God to do what? Even if He has anything to do, He wuld do that at His own time not at our own time. Change ur ways 2day and stop playing pranks, stealing, blaspheming, sabotage, looting, worshipping idols, and paying lips services to God. Non of our leaders worships a clean and the Almighty God. They worships devil and we are here calling God.