There was a reported pandemonium near Shoprite shopping mall in Abuja, after a parcel, suspected to be an Improvised Explosive Device, was found under the Jabi bridge.
We
reported few hours ago that a bomb scare from suspected Islmaic terrorist group, Boko Haram, was reported near a popular Abuja shopping mall in the federal capital territory.
It was learnt that a parcel, suspected to be an Improvised Explosives Device (IED), was discovered under the Jabi bridge, near Shoprite shopping mall, FCT Abuja, as security operatives block the access road to the bridge, and directed motorists to alternative routes.
According to a new report by Punch newspaper, the alarm, however turned out to be false as the bomb disposal unit of the Anti-bomb squad, discovered the parcel to be a container said to have been left under the bridge by the Federal Capital Territory Water Board.
Photo from the scene of the incident
A visit by a correspondent to the scene, observed that the situation had normalised and motorists were allowed to access the road, which was earlier blocked.
Speaking to a reporter, a maize seller near the Shoprite mall, disclosed that the container was kept under the bridge by the water board officials on Wednesday.
She said, “The police found out that it was not a bomb as speculated. What happened was that someone saw the food cooler and informed the Shoprite security guards about it and they called the police who blocked the road and checked the container for bomb, but nothing was found in it.”
When contacted, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Anjuguri Manzah, promised to obtain the status update from his superiors, but he had yet to get back to our correspondent as of the time of filing this report.