Bombing of UN Building: Death toll Rises

As condemnations continue to trail last Friday’s bomb blast at UN House in Abuja, the death toll from the incident yesterday rose from 18 to 23 with 73 others hospitalised, just as the security agencies alerted of an intelligence report indicating that Boko Haram sect has planned to carry out more of such attacks targeting churches, mosques and national institutions.
Meanwhile the United Nations yesterday vowed that the bomb attack will not deter it from its humanitarian work in Nigeria while President Goodluck Jonathan has promised that Nigeria will assist in the reconstruction of the UN building.
The planned attacks according to the intelligence report was to avenge the attacks by the Joint Task Force, ‘Operation Restore Order’, which the sect said has hit hard at its headquarters, thus affecting its overall aspirations.
Disclosing this to Vanguard yesterday, a top intelligence source disclosed that before the attack last Friday, intelligence findings had shown that “the group was planning an attack, aside that of the UN house, probably that of a landmark government agencies or concerns, that will rock the nation.
Towards this end Vanguard gathered that Churches and other places of worship will be given top priority henceforth in the area provision of security in the FCT and other Northern states, while important government assets like the CBN, NNPC, National Assembly Complex, Accountant General’s office, Ministry of Petroleum and ministry of Defence, federal Secretariat and the Defence headquarters complex, would be given round the clock protection.
Meanwhile, Police authorities in the federal capital disclosed that though no arrests had been made regarding the bombing of the UN house in Abuja, there was progress in the investigation to ascertain how the bomber passed through the streets and highways of Abuja and made for the UN house without being detected.
It was gathered that the registration number which was removed from the wreckage of the Honda Accord car was being traced to ascertain whether it was genuine or fake, and if the CCTV cameras’ in the FCT captured the vehicle with a view to ascertaining the identity of the bomber, in order to assist the investigation, before further steps would be taken.
We ‘ll assist in reconstruction —Jonathan
PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has assured the visiting Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, UN, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro, that Nigeria will assist in the reconstruction of the United Nations’ building destroyed by the bomb blast.
President Jonathan who received the UN second-in-command at the State House, Sunday, said the Nigeria Government would offer temporary accommodation to the UN to enable them “continue doing the good humanitarian work you have been doing”.(Vanguard Newspaper)