Nigeria: bomb rocks UN Headquarters in Abuja

UN House Abuja

Nigeria: bomb rocks UN Headquarters in Abuja

Ben Shemang, Abuja

A bomb exploded at the United Nations Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria with many casualties.

The explosion affected many offices in the building shattering window and door glasses.

Eye witnesess say a man in a truck forced himself into the UN office premises using the exit gate shortly before the explosiion occurred.

All UN agencies in Nigeria have their head offices in the building.

Early callers to the scene are the Inspector-General of the Nigerian Police, Haffiz Ringim who expressed shock, said the “Nigerian government would unearth the course".

Nigerian Minister of state for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Viola Onwuliri who was also at the scene, expressed grief and described the blast as " an attack on the international community”.

“President Goodluck Jonathan is “sad” that it is happening again” she said.

The UN House is just a stone throw to the National Hospital where casualities have been rushed and corpses deposited.

Correspendent Halima Umar Saleh who was at the National hospital when the explosion occurred as well as when the casualties were being brought in to the hospital reported that the "Emergency Department" of the hospital was a beehive of actuivities with medics calling for blood donation from the public.

The building has been cordoned off by security operatives and movement around the area restricted.

Halima/Iheanacho