The Federal Government has defended ex-militants who allegedly bombed Lawfab Hotel, Osubi, in Delta State on Monday.

Some suspected ex-militants, receiving training under the Amnesty Programme, had reportedly bombed a hotel where they had been accommodated by the Federal Government with high calibre dynamite.

Sources told journalists that what the ex-militants simply wanted was for the consultant to give them money meant for their hotel accommodation and other allowances, a request the consultant allegedly turned down.

But while absolving the ex-militants during an assessment of the scene on Tuesday night, the authorities said the blast was caused by a faulty water heater.

The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, told journalists that there was no way the ex-militants could bomb the place where they were residing with their families.

The explosion which brought down a section of the building, Kuku said, only occurred when the heater malfunctioned and exploded.

The SA, however, noted that the government would await the outcome of police investigations to know the true position.

He said, “For us, it is not a bomb blast until it is proven to be a bomb explosion. For me, the media went to the public too early, ascertaining that ex-militants bombed the hotel. From what we have seen as lay men, we cannot see what has happened as a bomb blast.

“I believe that the police will come up with the final report but we cannot say that the bomb was planted by our own trainee, they did not plant any bomb. I have spoken to them, I have a way of communicating with them, I know them very well. I have known most of them for years and they cannot lie to me. It is not possible.”

Posted by admin on Feb 8 2012. Filed under Headlines. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry