THISDAY blast: Police, security agencies recover number plate, vital documents

Security agents are going
after the owner of the vehicle
used in bombing the Abuja
office of ThisDay.
They have already retrieved
the number plate of the dark
green Isuzu Sports Utility Van
(SUV) used by the suicide
bomber in the Thursday
attack.
Also in their possession are
some vital documents that
could assist them in tracking
the brains behind the
explosion.
A major component of the full
scale investigation into the
bombing by the FCT Police
Command and other security
agencies is the forensic
analysis of parts of the SUV
and shrapnel of the explosive
device.
The Minister of Information,
Labaran Maku, said yesterday
that the state of insecurity in
the country was a passing
phase.
A top security source told The
Nation that the investigation
was being handled by all
security agencies and the
police.
Said the source: “We have
been lucky in retrieving the
number plate of the SUV used
by the suicide bomber. We are
actually sieving records to
locate where the vehicle was
registered in order to know
the owner or owners of the
ill-fated SUV or whether the
ownership had changed hands.
“With the recovery of the
number plate, we are actually
tracking the sponsors and
collaborators behind the
explosion.
“There are other clues we are
working on, which I may not
immediately disclose.
“Some forensic experts have
also started analysing
shrapnel of the explosive
device planted in the SUV for
the bombing.”
Maku, speaking after
inspecting the scene of the
blast yesterday, said: “I am
here to commiserate with
THISDAY newspaper over the
unfortunate and unprovoked
attack on your own
establishment here. The
President has spoken and I will
not want to repeat what the
government has already said.
“But as a journalist and
Minister of Information and as
member of this constituency, I
have come to express my
personal sympathy and
sorrow over this attack,
particularly the loss of lives of
your guards and other
Nigerians in the premises of
this organisation. Let me
express my personal
satisfaction with the
statement that has been
issued by THISDAY, saying that
this organisation will not be
intimidated or cajoled by the
attack.
“I wish, therefore, to rather
encourage you. All of us as
journalists and all Nigerians
are with you and are praying
for you. This is a passing
phase in the history of the
nation.
“When a nation comes under
attack, it calls for greater
courage by the citizens; it
calls for greater commitment
by the citizens; it calls for
greater vigilance by the
citizens. I therefore express
my sympathy to you. I am in
solidarity with you. I have
come to greet all our
colleagues.”
A delegation from the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) also
visited the scene and ThisDay
Nation’s Capital Editor, Mr.
Nduka Nwosu, said the
newspaper had been fair in
reporting issues concerning
Boko Haram in the country.
He said THISDAY would
continue to uphold the
principles of journalism in spite
of the setback.
Nwosu said: “THISDAY
management issued a
statement on the attack, but
I want to assure Nigerians
that we will continue to
uphold the ethics of this
profession. Journalism has its
basic principles, and in this
profession, THISDAY has
distinguished itself severally
and maintained the cardinal
principles of journalism.”
Reacting to a question on the
accusation by the Islamic sect
that THISDAY had been
misrepresenting its positions,
Nwosu dismissed it as a bias.
He added: “We have always
been balanced and fair in our
reports. We have not gone
beyond what other
newspapers have been doing,
and to that extent, we will
continue to look at issues
passionately.
“Of course, we have whipped
the government when there
was need for that and when
they were doing what was
wrong. My organisation will
always want to see things
from a balanced point of view.
The National Chairman of the
Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur,
sent a delegation led by the
National Secretary of party,
Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.
In his message, Tukur said
there was need for security
agencies in the country to
intensify their efforts at
curtailing the activities of the
sect.
He said: “This is a very bad
development. It is surprising. I
can only implore the security
agencies to step up their
duties to ensure that decency
returns to Nigeria.
“I want to urge you to
continue with your duties and
don’t be discouraged. I want
to use this occasion to
encourage the security
personnel to step up their
operations curtailing the
activities of this sect. likewise;
“I will like to advise Nigerians
that security is not a key
duty reserved for
government alone. As
individuals, any information no
matter how minute should
passed on to security
agencies to forestall this kind
of incident.’’

Source: The Nation Newspaper