ONE week after soldiers foiled an attempt to detonate explosives at the Army’s 1 Division’s Dalet Barracks in Kaduna, two of such coordinated attacks on Tuesday left one policeman dead.
Two others were taken to a local hospital after receiving injuries from the blast.
The first explosion rocked the highly populated Ungwan Sarki, opposite Kaduna State Transport Agency (KSTA) loading bay; the second occurred at another location about 500 metres away.
The late policeman was said to have gone to check the content of a black polythene bag left at a junction by unknown persons when it exploded, killing him instantly.
Kaduna State Police Commissioner Ballah Magaji Nasarawa gave the name of the late policeman as Sergeant Sunday Badang of the anti-bomb unit.
Nasarawa told reporters that following the incident, the police have introduced extra security measures to ensure the safety of lives and property.
He said: “Today 14th February, 2012 at about 1045hrs, and 1140hrs, respectively, there were two explosions that occurred at Ungwan Sarki bus stop in Kaduna.
“The first Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded in a gutter near a parked 15-seater Ford bus. No one was affected while the second explosion occurred when a police anti- bomb personnel, Sergeant Sunday Badang, was about to detonate it and the IED exploded. He was killed instantly.
“The fragment affected two other persons near the scene. They were rushed to 44 Army Reference Hospital Kaduna for treatment and the victims are in stable condition.
“The area was equally swept by the police Anti-Bomb Squad and no other explosive device was detected. Equally, we have beefed up security in the entire state and members of the public are hereby advised to report any suspicious object to security agencies and to avail us with credible information that will nip in the bud, these criminalities.”
He released security hot lines for residents of the state to report any suspected movement or persons. The numbers are 08123822284, 07039675856 and 08081708671.
Residents ran for dear life as the explosion shook nearby buildings. Traffic along the road was brought to a standstill.
Shortly after the first explosion; a second polythene bag was discovered at another location about 500metres away.
The late police officer was seen lying on the main road, while heavily armed security men cordoned off the area, causing heavy traffic hold-up. The major road on which the blast occurred links the city centre to the northern part of the metropolis.
Traders at the Ungwan Seriki market hurriedly closed their shops. Schools were also hurriedly closed, as panic-stricken parents rushed to pick their children.
Police spokesman Aminu Lawan confirmed the blast. He said: “Our officer was affected while trying to defuse the explosives; he lost his life in the process while attempting to detonate the explosives after the first bomb exploded. We have commenced a search of the entire area to ensure that another explosive is not planted around there while further investigation will be carried out”.
Some youths in the area have promised to join forces with the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators, saying: “we are not happy with the situation and we will assist the police in bringing out those linked with the blast once identified; we are tired of bomb explosions every now and then, killing innocent people”.
Last Tuesday, a suicide bomber attempted to blow up the headquarters of the One Division of the Army in Kaduna. But he was shot dead by soldiers on guard while the vehicle exploded shattering the glass panes of a building.
On Monday, a top government official and Director of Finance in the Ministry of Finance, Isuwa Kiforo, was shot at the Government House, when he refused to stop at the security check point and attempted to force his way into the place.
Courtesy: The Nation