Bayelsa bomb blast: Security agents begin manhunt for sponsors

Posted by admin Bayelsa, State News Thursday, April 7th, 2011

Security agents have begun a manhunt for those behind the bomb explosion that rocked Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital on Tuesday. The explosion had triggered fears among of the opposition parties ahead the rescheduled National Assembly elections on Saturday.

The blast suspected to be from a dynamite, was thrown into the premises of Latik Hotel along INEC Road. The owned by former deputy-governor of Bayelsa State and Labour Party (LP) senatorial candidate for Bayelsa West District, Peremobowei Ebebi.

Eye witness account said at about 9 pm on Tuesday, an unmarked Toyota Nissan car drove through the road of the hotel and they were suspected to have thrown the dynamite inside the compound. The blast from the explosion destroyed some portions of the hotel particularly the kitchen and the laundry but no live was lost.
The explosion caused pandemonium in the area with few guests in the hotel hurriedly checking out while shops immediately closed and traffic became chaotic as motorists struggled to drive out of INEC road.

Latik Hotel had been the target of explosions since Ebebi fell out of power in the state. A car loaded with dynamites was discovered at the premises of the hotel in 2010 during the peak of his disagreement with Governor Tinipre Sylva.
Security men at the hotel before the arrival of policemen from the Ekeki ‘B’ Division and the anti- bomb squad refused men of the Operation Famou Tangebi entry into the Hotel on the excuse that the security outfit is romancing with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Checks by Daily Sun indicated that a combined team of the State Security Service (SSS), the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) and the Police had visited the scene and written separate reports to their offices prompting a directive that the incident be investigated and those behind it, unmasked. A very dependable intelligence source at the JTF said the security outfit is suspecting political motive for the explosion and it would soon issue a report for public consumption.

“I can tell you that the JTF has visited the scene. We are investigating the incident but we suspect it was politically motivated. It is not different from what has been happening before. Already, a detailed investigation is ongoing and when the JTF is through, I believe the report would be made available to the public,” the source said. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Eguaveon Emoakpe in an interview confirmed the incident, stressing that the Police are on top of the situation.

“Yes I can confirm the incident. There was an explosion and our men including the anti-bomb squad visited the scene. We have already begun investigation.”

-Sunwp_posts