Boko Haram behind police headquarters suicide bombing

Boko Haram behind police headquarters suicide bombing

Radical Islamic group, Boko Haram, has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s bombing of the Nigeria Police Headquarters in Abuja.

A Boko Haram spokesman, Usman Alzawahiri, told the Voice of America on the telephone that the attack was the group’s ‘handiwork’.

He said, “We are behind it and we are going to attack the entire North and other parts of the country, including the capital, Abuja.”

Alzawahiri said that some Boko Haram members returned from Somalia recently and had been scattered around the northern parts of the country. He also advised residents of northern states to be wary.

Earlier this week, the group issued a statement threatening intensified attacks following what it called a collapse of reconciliation efforts.

In the statement issued in the name of Jama‘atu Ahlis-sunnah lidda‘ati wal Jihad, it said, “Dialogue with President (Goodluck) Jonathan has collapsed, because of the statements made by the Inspector-General of police and Borno state government.”

It said it was angered by the Police IG’s declaration that “the days of Boko Haram are numbered.”

Police Reacts

The Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Olusola Amore, who briefed journalists shortly after the incident, said the police would not be deterred in its efforts to bring those behind the dastardly act, and similar ones in the past, to book.

“Any group going by any name; be it Boko Haram or Al Qaeda, the government and the police will go after them and deal with them according to the law. We will not succumb to the demands of any criminal group or individual”, Amore said.

Military pledges cooperation

Reacting to the incident, the Director of Information, Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Raphael Isah, said, “I totally agree with what the police spokesman said this (Thursday) afternoon. It is unfortunate but we will not yield any ground.”

He added, “This time, it is an integrated approach and all security stakeholders will come together. We should not yield any ground to terrorism.’’

Three children killed in Damboa, Borno State

Meanwhile, three children were reportedly killed on Thursday when a bomb exploded around 2 p.m. local time in a compound near a church in Damboa,  about 87 kilometres south of Maiduguri, the capital of the north eastern state of Borno.

Borno State police chief, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, confirmed the incident but declined to give further details.

The Police also blame Boko Haram for the blast.

Antecedents

In July 2009, Boko Haram sect members attacked local police stations and government buildings throughout the northeast. The Nigerian military reacted with a crackdown that left more than 700 dead. Boko Haram was then thought to be defeated after its leader was arrested and died in police custody.

Since then however, members of the sect, who are campaigning for the implementation of strict Shariah law, have been responsible for a series of killings which have targeted security officers, politicians and Muslim and Christian clerics over the last year.

Security Measures

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has ordered a beef up of security within and around Abuja to forestall further bomb blasts.

 The FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr Biodun Olorunfemi, gave the directive while condemning the attack on the police headquarters.

 He directed the FCT command of the police, the sector command of the Federal Road Safety Commission and the FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services to henceforth randomly stop and search vehicles in and around the FCT.

Also on Thursday, the Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Police tightened security in and around its premises on Workyard Road in Ikeja GRA.

The police mounted checkpoints on the main access road to the command and checked vehicles and their occupants. Visitors to the command were screened by policemen before they were allowed to enter the reception area.

Ekata (with agency reports)

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