Force HQ bombing: Police recant on suicide bomber claim

THE Nigeria Police, on Wednesday, in a statement recanted that the attack on the police headquarters last week was carried out

by a suicide bomber.

According to the statement, which was later withdrawn, investigations were continuing and they were still not sure.

The police, soon after the June 16 bombing that killed some people at their national headquarters in Abuja, had alleged that it was a suicide attack believed to have been carried out by the radical Islamist sect, Boko Haram.

The statement read: “Investigation has not been concluded to confirm the motive as to whether it is a suicide bomb or time bomb or otherwise.”

“This is to correct the impression and analysis of the unfortunate incident.”

Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, while addressing Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs), Assistant Inspectors General (AIGs) and Commissioners of Police (CPs) at the monthly IGP conference in Abuja, on Wednesday, said that there was an urgent need to review the security situation in the country and fashion out how to cooperate with other security agencies to defeat the threat to national stability.

He tasked the officers to introduce new security measures, such as disallowing too many visitors into their commands through search of vehicles.

Ringim also admonished that exhibits or recovered vehicles should no longer be parked at police formations in all the commands.

According to him, the CPs need to strengthen their intelligence gathering throughout all the commands, to enable them to nip crisis in the bud.

The IGP, who noted that this was a very critical period for the police, condoled with Nigerians and the police over the loss of officers in the bomb blast on the premises of the police headquarters.

According to him, “I want to condole with the family of the late ASP Nanger Demting, who lost his life in the blast,” adding that he invited the senior officers so that he could share with them the experience of the last bomb blast, as well as afford them the opportunity of first-hand look at the colossal damage.

The IGP thanked President Goodluck Jonathan for his personal visit to the premises of Force Headquarters to assess the situation.

He said that the senior officers were invited to the conference because their contributions were needed in tackling the canker.

Some senior police officers have urged the government to engage in dialogue with the Boko Haram as a way of finding a lasting solution to the spate of bombings in the country.

The senior officers who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune exclusively said that this could be achieved by directing the Borno State government to open talks with the sect.

According to a source, the major grievance of the sect is the killing of their leaders. They also want compensation for their damaged properties.

The source revealed that the sect had now broken into two groups; a militant group and one that is ready for dialogue.

Meanwhile, the police have denied a newspaper publication, (not the Nigerian Tribune), headlined “FBI Agents arrive Abuja, comb police headquarters.” A minor headline read, “Bomber was in Ringim’s house before the blast.”

The Force spokesman, DCP Olusola Amore, in his reaction described the stories as false, mischievous and capable of misleading the reading public.

According to him, immediately after the June 16 explosion at the Force Headquarters, the IGP set up a high-powered investigative team to ascertain the remote and immediate causes of the incident, and to unearth those behind the dastardly act.

He said: “The investigative team has not submitted any report regarding the unfortunate incident while one wonders where and how the writer of this misleading news got his or her information from.”

He said that the police were not willing to join issues with the press, but that it was important for journalists to verify their claims or any information from the IGP or the Force Public Relations Officer before publication.

“For the avoidance of doubt, investigation into this incident is of top priority to the IGP and his management team and they are doing all within the purview of the law to ensure that the culprits are brought to justice,” Mr Amore added.