Picture: Abuja Bomb Blast – Wife of the Deceased traffic warden – His last wish

Posted by admin Latest Politics, National Politics, Nigerian Police Saturday, June 18th, 2011

Wife of late ASP Nangor Dangtim, the brave policeman that directed the sucide bomber to the car park of the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, wailing at the venue of the bomb blast in Abuja on Thursday. Photo: NAN

Getting survivors of Thursday’s bomb explosion at the Force Headquarters in Abuja to recount their gory experience has been difficult, but emerging facts indicated that the late Assistant Superintendent of Traffic (AST), Mangor Dangton, one of those killed in the blast, had expressed his desire to be redeployed from the Louis Edet House three weeks before his death.

The deceased, who hails from Langtang in Plateau State, was said to be close to retiring from service and had expressed his wish to be redeployed to his home state preparatory to his disengagement.
Unfortunately, he could not fulfil his heart’s desire before he was dispatched to an untimely grave by an harbinger of death. A father of five, the late Dangton was said to have served at the Police Force Headquarters for three years.

The suicide bomb attack has cast a thick cloud of uncertainty over the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), amid panic at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa.
The incident has also caused discomfort within the top echelon of the nation’s security apparatus.

At least three persons, including the suicide bomber, were on Friday confirmed dead by police spokesman, Olusola Amore, from the explosion, which damaged over 70 vehicles at the car parking lot, with 38 burnt beyond redemption. Fundamentalist Islamic sect, Boko Haram, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Although preliminary investigation are ongoing with no clues yet to be recorded by a special team of investigators, experts say that going by the operational mode of the suicide bomber, who infiltrated his convoy in an unmarked Mercedes Benz car close to the entrance of the headquarters complex, the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Hafiz Ringim, might have been the main target.

Ringim’s perceived sin was his declaration two days before the incident that the Nigeria Police Force in conjunction with other security agencies were set to rout members of the sect from their areas of operation, and warned them to toe the path of peace before the hammer fell on them. Though he survived the attack by whiskers, he was visibly distraught and shaken.

A top security chief confided in Sunday Sun that the Presidency was deeply worried over the incident, regarded as a serious embarrassment and dangerous act that has exposed a compromised national security.
The source said while the IGP might have been the target, the action appeared to be rooted in a thicker plot.
“It is like a case of drawing the ear to get the head. What is unfolding has a serious security implication that can threaten the survival of Jonathan’s presidency. I can tell you there is panic in the Villa, and if the President doesn’t take firm and proper control of things immediately, from the way things are going, this administration will have a hard time focussing on development. He has to do something fast to nip the increasing threat to national security in the bud,” the source warned.

According to the security chief, the situation is compounded by the lack of effective synergy among the various security agencies, particularly the police, armed forces and the intelligence community, a development he says, has become an impediment to internal security operations.
“Apart from the police, there is this feeling of competition and I-don’t-care attitude by other security agencies to internal security operations, and this is not good enough,” he remarked.

Unofficial sources hinted that although there had been fears in recent times over an impending change of guards within the top hierarchy of the armed forces and some security agencies, the Thursday incident further unsettled the security community, with the belief that President Jonathan may use the opportunity to make some changes.
Meanwhile, gloom and uncertainty pervaded the Louis Edet House, which was literally deserted on Friday following the previous day’s explosion. Vehicular and human traffic was at the lowest ebb, just as some officers and men failed to report for duty ostensibly for fear of the unknown. Most of the officers had abandoned their offices shortly after the incident occurred on Thursday for fear of another possible explosion in the main building at the headquarters. But the IGP braved the odds and remained in his office till about 6.30pm, when he closed for the day.

Ringim’s security escort was on Friday beefed up with two additional pick-up vans, which has increased the number of vehicles in his convoy to six. The strength of security details on his convoy has also been jerked up.
No remarkable security measure has however, been introduced as an aftermath of the incident, besides the routine checks at the gate and entry point into the main building. But all the security personnel at the main gate and the IGP’s escort team were on Friday reportedly interrogated as part of ongoing investigation.
There are conflicting reports over the exact number and whereabouts of those injured in the blast. Reports on Thursday indicated that nine of the survivors were moved to the Asokoro General Hospital, while one was admitted at the National Hospital in Abuja amid tight security. Journalists were barred from moving close to the victims, who also aggressively thwarted efforts to interact with them.

However, by Friday, Orthopedic Surgeon and Federal Capital Territory Coordinator of Emergency Medical Services, Dr Sule Ahmed, hinted that the Asokoro General Hospital had certified all the victims admitted the previous day to be hale and hearty, and have therefore been discharged.
But at the National Hospital, Head, Management Information Services, Mr Tayo Haastrup, said visits to the ward where the only victim in the hospital is admitted was restricted, disclosing, however, that his condition was stable.

The position of the two officials contradicted reports on Friday indicating that all the victims had been moved to the Police Clinic in the Area One, Garki District of Abuja, perhaps for security reasons.

-Sunwp_posts