A car laden with bombs yesterday
exploded at the ever busy Folawiyo junction on Creek Road, Apapa, killing four
persons, while several others were injured.
Eyewitnesses told Vanguard that the
car, a Mercedes-Benz 190, exploded around 8:30pm, after it was parked beside a
fuel tanker heading into Folawiyo tank farm.
The explosion was said to have
shocked residents of Apapa and its environs, which was also said to have
affected two banks operating in the area, while many other buildings were also
destroyed .
Many residents were scared that the
explosion could have been the handiwork of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, who may
have targeted the area being a depot of petroleum products.
When Vanguard visited
the scene, the wreckage of the Mercedes Benz, was seen at the scene, while the
remains of an unidentified woman also littered the ground.
An eyewitness who identified himself
as Musa Ali, told Vanguard that he narrowly escaped death when
the explosion occurred.
His words: “I am a truck conductor
and my truck was on the queue. I was walking towards the Folawiyo junction when
I heard the explosion and I thought it was an earthquake. When I looked up I saw
a large ball of fire at the spot where I was to buy food and a woman in front
of me was badly injured. Fire fighters quickly raced to the scene and after
some minutes the fire was put off. When I went close I saw a deep hole at the
point where the explosion occurred.”
Another eye witness said: “A car
wired with a bomb device rammed under a trailer parked outside the tank farm
which exploded at about 8.30pm. We were all scared when we heard the explosion
and saw smoke everywhere. There was pandemonium as everyone started running
helter-skelter and it was in the midst of this confusion that a man wearing a
hijab ran into the compound to detonate another bomb. Apparently, the first
bomb was meant to be a distraction.”
However, spokesperson of the Lagos
state police command, Ngozi Braide confirmed the incident but stated
emphatically that it was not a bomb explosion.
She could however not give details
of how the tanker exploded, saying the Divisional Police Officer in charge of
Apapa would brief her later.
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