Fear and apprehension continue to grip residents of Kano, northern Nigeria as pockets of explosion rock the ancient commercial city.
On Tuesday night, an explosion on a luxury bus along Zaria Road sent panic into the city, but police authorities later said it was a bust tyre.
However, on Wednesday morning, unidentified gunmen threw Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at a Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) transformer along Zoo Road.
According to an eyewitness account, at about 7.30 Wednesday morning on Zoo road, two unknown gunmen, riding on a motorbike hauled Improvised Explosive Device (IED) into a nearby transformer, which promptly exploded.
However, the source told our Reporter that no one was injured, when the blast occurred as there was no soul around the transformer, located at a popular junction, which leads to the residence of an ANPP top Chieftain, Alhaji Abdullahi Sani Rogo on Zoo Road.
Also, Â the eyewitness account told our Reporter that the gunmen shot sporadically into the air, while escaping from the scene, a situation that caused panic and confusion on Zoo Road, as residents in the area fled to different directions to avoid been caught in the cross fire.
Moments after the gunmen made good their escape, according to our source, Security personnel, including operatives of the Joint Task Force (JTF) arrived and immediately cordoned off the scene, preventing free human and vehicular movement.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Kano state police command, Bompai said what was mistaken for a bomb attack on the bus was a bust tyre which made huge sound.
The statement read in part, the Kano State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that on Tuesday 4th December, 2012 at about 2000hrs along Zaria road by AKTH Round about, a Luxurious Bus carrying passengers coming into Kano City had one of its tyres busted while on motion which resulted in heavy sound.
Immediately Anti Bomb Disposal Unit of the Command was deployed to the scene, the whole area was inspected and no explosive materials were recovered. Bomb experts said the sound was due to the intensity of the bust tyre which blew open the boot.The statement added that, there was no injury to the few passengers or damage to the vehicle, adding that the entire luggages were intact, and urged newsmen to always cross-check their facts before rushing to the press.
False reporting as well as publication of pictures that do not reflect the actual events as was done in this case heightens tension in the society and inimical to the desired peace and stability in the state.
The whole area was cordoned off and thoroughly combed to ensure there were no other explosives left undetonated, “no injury no loss of lives was recorded.” Wednesday’s Zoo Road bomb blast came on the heels of a similar attack around the popular Kantin Kwari Textile market which left three persons, including a Road Safety official injured.
Meanwhile, the Military-led Joint Task Force in Kano State has observedthat the recent attacks by gunmen operating in remote parts of the city were facilitated by the reduction of check points in the state capital. Â Speaking in a telephone interview with our correspondent, the spokesman for JTF, Lt Ikedichi Iweha said JTF check points in the city had been drastically reduced in response to public complaints, adding that the collapse of some of the check points may have opened space for gunmen to operate. Lt Ikedichi noted that this adjustment has to some extent affected the original security concept.
In his words,: We were receiving complaints, some in writing that the security check points in certain quarters constituted some kind of threat to business and other activities and should be dismantled, which was done in the interest of peace.” It is possible that these terrorists and other criminals are cashing in on the situation to perpetrate their nefarious activities, members of the press were equally engaged to prosecute this campaign,” he added.
The JTF spokesman observed further that if the original security arrangement had remained, it would have been difficult for gunmen to operate freely, particularly in isolated parts of the city where some of them now lay siege.
It would also be recalled that the state was hitherto uncomfortable with complaints from different quarters regarding the growing check points in the capital and had at different fora promised to look into it with a view to collapsing some of them.
Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso had prior to the recent pockets of attack by gunmen on motorbikes promised to see to the reduction in the number of security check points within the state capital.
Our correspondent recalled that disturbed over the spate of attacks in remote parts of the city by gunmen operating on motorbikes, the state government ordered the clampdown on commercial motorcyclists, restricting their movement from 6 am to 6pm. This came months after the restriction order was relaxed from 6 am to 8 pm by the same government.
The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Idris, was also quoted recently as saying the attack on Kano Bureau de Change market in Fagge occurred barely a week after leaders of the Bureau De Change union demanded in writing the dismantling of the check points in the area with 15 mobile police officers, with complaints that the presence of the security operatives was threatening activities in Fagge.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that lately, gunmen had been terrorizing residents in Hotoro, Dakata, Yankaba and Mariri, all in Kano suburb.
The JTF spokesman however said in spite of what he described as insignificant operations by suspected terrorists, security agents in the state are on top of the situation.”So far, we are working hard, we are also studying their strategy, so we can adjust our operations in line with the new challenge”.