Police Say Bomb Scare In Minna Is A Hoax

Activities at the Niger State Abdulkareem Lafene Secretariat in Tunga, area of Minna, were grounded for hours Monday following the sighting of an object suspected to be bomb purportedly planted at the entrance of the Office of the Head of Service (HOS).

Civil Servants and visitors to the complex ran for their dear lives at the spread of the discovery.

‪The object, a metallic cylinder filled with dirty materials was placed upside down on the way leading to the block which also housed Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs and the State Economic Commission.

‪The object caused panic in the Secretariat as people took to their heels shouting "Bomb! Bomb!! Bomb!!!".

Owners of Cars parked within the complex were seen hurriedly driving out their vehicles while officers and men of the Civil Defence Corps attached to the complex cordoned off the area where the suspected object was placed.

It was gathered that the State headquarters of the Police were immediately contacted and promptly came to the scene.

‪An anti-bomb squad was dispatched to the scene led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Emmanuel Alogbo who watched the squad detonated the object only to discover that it was not a bomb.

‪The police boss later held the object up and threw away the contents assured the on-lookers that the object was not a bomb as earlier rumoured.

He later enjoined the people to go about their duties without any fear, describing it as mere hoax.

Sanity and peace were later restored and Civil Servants went back to their desks.