Nigeria Explosion Hits Police Headquarters In Abuja

Outside Police Station, Abuja

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/16/nigeria-explosion-abuja_n_877964.html

BASHIR ADIGUN

ABUJA, Nigeria — At least one person has been killed in an explosion outside police headquarters in Nigeria's capital Thursday, an emergency agency said.

An Associated Press reporter at the scene said the blast occurred in the parking lot at police headquarters and more than 50 cars had been damaged and burnt by the explosion. The reporter saw emergency workers carry away a dismembered body hit by the blast.

Yushau Shuaib, spokesman for Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency told AP at least one person has died, but had no further details.

The cause of the blast was not immediately clear. Thick black smoke could be seen from far away at the time of the blast, and fire services have since put out the fire. Army, police and emergency workers were also at the blast site.

A bomb exploded on New Year's Eve in an open-air beer garden and market at an army barracks in the capital, killing at least four and wounding at least 21, police said.

Dual car bombings killed at least 12 people during Nigeria's 50th independence anniversary celebrations in Abuja on Oct. 1. One bomb detonated, with another exploding about five minutes later, targeting police, firefighters and curious onlookers gathered there. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, the dominant militant group in the Niger delta region, claimed responsibility for the anniversary attacks.