The Chief Medical Director Maitama Hospital Dr. Adetoun Adetimehin conducting the President Goodluck Jonathan, Minister of Health Prof.Onyebuchi Chuckwu and other Officials round the Maitama General Hospital during his visit to the Victims of the Emab Plaza Bomb Blast in Abuja yesterday. Photo Joe Oroye.
The management of other shopping malls and plazas in the Federal Capital Territory have tightened security arrangements around their facilities.
This came as a replication to Wednesday’s bomb blast that claimed no fewer than 22 lives and injured 17 others at EMAB Plaza in Abuja.
The explosion, which jolted plaza owners in the city, seems to have made them realise how vulnerably susceptible their multi-million naira investment were to terrorist attacks.
One of our correspondents learnt that many plaza managers, who were lackadaisical about the security of their facilities, had stepped up security measures to obviate an assailment on their premises. At Wuse market, the private security sentinels on obligation were not taking any chances as they screened conveyances entering the most popular shopping centre in the city.
The same measure was observed at Garki market, where uniformed private security sentinels, scanned conveyance booths with metal detectors. At the Ceddi Plaza, Central Business District, the customary checking of conveyances entering the premises or utilizing the car park was going on when our correspondent visited the place on Friday.
Tags were additionally given to motorists and the conveyance registration number taken down in a log book for record purposes.
The Grand Square, CBD, whose security sentinels did not fixate on conveyances in their park or check them for suspicious objects, had withal ameliorated on their security consciousness as they now pay more attention to conveyances entering the premises.
Armed policemen and soldiers were still on obligation as they kept vigil on the malefaction scene, which they cordoned off with conveyances and a tape.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government asked Nigerians to disregard mendacious alarm on likely fresh attacks on schools in some components of the country following the explosion.
Speaking during the conventional press briefing on security issues in the country, Coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, verbally expressed such erroneous alarm was intended to engender panic and apprehensiveness among the people.
Omeri, who is withal the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, verbalized the activities of insurgents targeted at some major cities was a wake-up call on all Nigerians to be more vigilant and cautious of their environment.
He verbally expressed, “The centre is cognizant of erroneous alarm and rumours being circulated in the convivial media with a view to engendering panic and solicitousness among the populace to the effect that some schools are being targeted for attack.
“While we urge parents and school managements to be tranquil, cautious and more vigilant, we optate to state that security agencies are working round the clock and have taken measures to ascertain that schools are safe and academic activities unhindered.
“We therefore appeal and advise members of the public to desist from spreading erroneous alarm messages with a view to engendering panic but to work proximately with security agencies and make efficacious utilization of security vigilant phone numbers already made available to the public.”
Copyright PUNCH.
