konga Ad Campaign konga Ad Campaign konga Ad Campaign
ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
      • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • #PandoraPapers
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
      • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • #PandoraPapers
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT

Bomb explosion rocks Thisday offices in Abuja, Kaduna

April 26, 2012
6 min read

Bomb explosions targeted at the media, particularly Thisday Newspapers, have killed at least eleven people in Abuja and Kaduna.

The explosions which occurred simultaneously Thursday morning rocked Thisday office in Abuja and another location near its office in Kaduna.

Just while rescue was ongoing in Abuja, the explosion in Kaduna went off. The Kaduna explosion occurred in Kontagora Road by Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna, Kaduna at a building housing some media houses which included Thisday, The Sun and The Moment.

The site of the explosion in Kaduna is popular for vendors and newspaper distributors. Many news organizations have small offices around the area. The suspect allegedly threw in the device but was captured by witnesses while escaping the scene. He was later handed in to the police.

Eyewitnesses put the casualty rate from the Kaduna bomb blast at 10 but the spokesperson of the Kaduna state police command, Aminu Lawan, said the police have confirmed only one death so far.

Security agencies are yet to determine whether the explosion in Abuja Office of Thisday was a case of suicide bombing or a planted device within the office.

But the Chairman, Editorial board of ThisDay, Segun Adeniyi, said two security men and the suicide bomber died in the attack. He added that five other support staff sustained injuries in the attack.

“The suicide bomber came in a jeep,” he said.

“They (security men) opened the gate for them. We can’t find out now why they opened the gate because they are now dead. The guy drove in through the gate and rammed into the building and exploded,”  he explained.”Fortunately the newsroom is a bit far from the back of the building. So all the people in the newsroom especially the advert people are all safe.

The National Emergency Management Agency issued a statement  saying its preliminary investigation seems to indicate that the explosive device was planted somewhere within the premises, not likely a case of suicide bombing.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the bombings, it is widely believed to be the handiwork of the dreaded Boko Haram sect that claimed responsibility for similar attacks in the past, including the United Nation’s building bombing last year.

Targeting the Media

In January, the Boko Haram sect complained about bad press from some media houses and issued a warning it would strike if that kind of reporting continued.

A ThisDay staff admitted the company got a telephone warning in January about their reporting of the sect’s activities. 

The media organization subsequently reported the threat to Nigerian security agencies and applied new security drills for staff and visitors. The front entrance to the premises was locked and staff and visitors were only allowed in through the back end.

The sect complained of consistent negative profiling by the media and reports suggesting it had splinter groups.

A source told Premium Times that the sect is also angry about reports blaming it for extrajudicial killings by the police and officials of the Joint Task Forces, overseeing security in some of the northern states.

“The sect is especially unhappy that the media has allowed itself to be manipulated by the government,” our source said. “For instance, the Tribune recently wrote that Abu Qaqa had been killed and that Abubakar Shekau was almost captured.”

Usual condemnation

The usual condemnation that follow such attacks have started pouring in. The deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, who is holding forte for the convalescing senate president, is among the first to condemn the attack.

“An attack on the media is an attack on the very fabric of the conscience of our society and the fulcrum of our unity, democracy, and good governance which every Nigerian must stand up against,” he said.

President Goodluck Jonathan who received the news in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire described the attack as “ignoble, misguided, horrendous and wicked.”

The President who is attending an Extra-Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the situation in Mali and Guinea-Bissau,urged media practitioners not to be dissuaded from carrying out their fearless campaign for peace, justice and equity as democracy cannot flourish without press freedom.

He traditionally pledged to ensure that “criminal elements bent on instilling fear in the minds of Nigerians and foreigners will not succeed.”



View Thisday office Abuja in a larger map

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket


CITIZEN-FM AD


Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: Call Willie - +2348098788999






PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

UEFA Champions League: Bayern join Chelsea in final

Next Post

3 feared killed in Kaduna bomb blast, targeting media houses

More News

Tope Fasua writes about the economic agenda of the 2023 top contenders.

How do you fund the budget, without fines for overspeeding?, By ‘Tope Fasua

June 29, 2022
Senate Plenary [PHOTO CREDIT: @NgrSenate]

LIVE UPDATES: Senate screens newly-appointed ministers

June 29, 2022
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu

JUST IN: Ekweremadu: Senate breaks silence, to send delegation to London

June 29, 2022
Sea cucumber [PHOTO CREDIT: Juan Carlos Martin/Flickr]

ANALYSIS: Sea cucumber smuggling in East Africa threatens livelihoods, ecosystems

June 29, 2022
The UN health agency warned that tobacco’s killer toxins also wreak havoc on the environment. [Photo: ITV.com]

Nigerian govt raises tax on cigarettes to 30%

June 29, 2022
FILE: Court and justice symbols used to illustrate the story

DPP drops charge against ex-Lagos school driver accused of raping toddler

June 29, 2022
Next Post

3 feared killed in Kaduna bomb blast, targeting media houses

Former Afribank offers voluntary exit option to workers

Leave Comment

Search

AUN-PT Ad




Access Bank Ad







Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,899,066 other subscribers.

Advertisement




netherland biz school Advert



ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • #PandoraPapers
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Opinion
  • The Membership Club
  • DONATE
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • PT Hausa
  • Dubawa NG
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.