On the last day of Easter festivities,
fun-seekers, residents and passersby Monday evening scampered for safety
following an explosion which rocked a Mr Bigg's outlet in the Karu Site
area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Although there were no casualties, the explosion, which occurred at about 4.38 p.m. sent cold shivers down the spines of people in the neighbourhood including, artisans, hawkers, and passersby, who found themselves near the scene of incident.
Our correspondent, who was at a nearby cyber cafe in the area with some members of his family when the incident occurred, reported that the entire vicinity of the eatery was enveloped in thick black smoke.
Motorists and pedestrians coming in from the Karu junction end linking Abuja and Mararaba in Nasarawa State, had to make an abrupt stop on getting to the scene, with some motorists making a swift U-turn.
Policemen attached to the Karu Police Station, which is about 50 meters away from the eatery quickly rushed to the scene as the gate of the outfit was immediately closed.
When the dust settled, THISDAY visited the scene of the explosion and observed that virtually all the windows on all the three floors of the eatery, which is located on the Karu Shopping Plaza were ripped apart by the explosion.
Another shopping mall, Mazfallah Plaza, adjacent the eatery was also slightly affected by the explosion.
About 30 minutes after the explosion occurred, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Dauda Buba, arrived the scene, moved round, asked some questions, took notes in his mobile device before moving over to Mazfallah Plaza.
As the DPO was about to move to the nearby shopping mall, our correspondent accosted him for comments on the explosion.
At this point, bomb experts from the Anti-Bomb Squad, FCT Command, arrived in a vehicle marked NPF 302-C.
The DPO told THISDAY that it was after the anti- bomb experts had taken samples, and analysis that the exact cause of the incident would be known.
However, some staff of the eatery, who preferred anonymity, said they suspected that explosion was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
According to them, the purveyors of the deadly device may have hidden it behind the building, adding that the explosion originated from the back of the building.
They also debunked possible attachment of the incident to gas cylinders, noting that the explosion did not occur from anything near the kitchen.
THISDAY made several calls to the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Mr. Femi Ogunbayode, requesting him to confirm the incident but could not pick up his phone.
However, speaking to THISDAY on the telephone, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mrs. Althine Daniel, said the incident was a mere explosion from a gas cylinder and not a bomb, adding that nobody sustained injury during the explosion.
Although there were no casualties, the explosion, which occurred at about 4.38 p.m. sent cold shivers down the spines of people in the neighbourhood including, artisans, hawkers, and passersby, who found themselves near the scene of incident.
Our correspondent, who was at a nearby cyber cafe in the area with some members of his family when the incident occurred, reported that the entire vicinity of the eatery was enveloped in thick black smoke.
Motorists and pedestrians coming in from the Karu junction end linking Abuja and Mararaba in Nasarawa State, had to make an abrupt stop on getting to the scene, with some motorists making a swift U-turn.
Policemen attached to the Karu Police Station, which is about 50 meters away from the eatery quickly rushed to the scene as the gate of the outfit was immediately closed.
When the dust settled, THISDAY visited the scene of the explosion and observed that virtually all the windows on all the three floors of the eatery, which is located on the Karu Shopping Plaza were ripped apart by the explosion.
Another shopping mall, Mazfallah Plaza, adjacent the eatery was also slightly affected by the explosion.
About 30 minutes after the explosion occurred, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Dauda Buba, arrived the scene, moved round, asked some questions, took notes in his mobile device before moving over to Mazfallah Plaza.
As the DPO was about to move to the nearby shopping mall, our correspondent accosted him for comments on the explosion.
At this point, bomb experts from the Anti-Bomb Squad, FCT Command, arrived in a vehicle marked NPF 302-C.
The DPO told THISDAY that it was after the anti- bomb experts had taken samples, and analysis that the exact cause of the incident would be known.
However, some staff of the eatery, who preferred anonymity, said they suspected that explosion was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
According to them, the purveyors of the deadly device may have hidden it behind the building, adding that the explosion originated from the back of the building.
They also debunked possible attachment of the incident to gas cylinders, noting that the explosion did not occur from anything near the kitchen.
THISDAY made several calls to the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Mr. Femi Ogunbayode, requesting him to confirm the incident but could not pick up his phone.
However, speaking to THISDAY on the telephone, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mrs. Althine Daniel, said the incident was a mere explosion from a gas cylinder and not a bomb, adding that nobody sustained injury during the explosion.
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