Abandoned Car Causes Bomb Scare In Abuja, See How People Run Helter Skelter for Safety

Abandoned Volkswagen Golf car that caused panic

The serene atmosphere of Kubwa, a satellite town in Abuja, was today punctured as a bomb scare made traders scamper for safety.  The incident, which occurred at about 1.00pm at the popular El- Rufai Bus Stop, near a crowded village market, also forced parents to rush to fetch their wards from schools, in turn leading both private and public school to close abruptly.

SaharaReporters gathered that a Volkswagen Gulf car had been sighted parked near the bus stop for a very long period of time with gas cylinders in it, without anybody claiming ownership of the vehicle
leading to public suspicion. A resident who pleaded anonymity told journalists that people soon started running helter-skelter in the belief the car contained a bomb that might go off at any time.

He said the tension was aggravated when some policemen who came to check the car left without any word on its status, and soon, all roads to the scene were closed as panic set in.

When SaharaReporters visited Agabi Godiri, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Zonal Command Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force Phase 4, he said he received a call that a car which contained gas cylinders was parked near the El-Rufai Bus Stop near the market.
He said he drove to the place himself and upon seeing the vehicle, quickly called EOD (Anti-Bomb Disposal).

“They came and screened the vehicle and was discovered that it was an empty gas cylinder and no explosive device was found and nobody come around to claim the vehicle and I asked my officers to tow the vehicle to the station since we cannot locate the owner,” he explained. 

He added that the owner later came to the station and it was discovered that he was a trader who sells gas cylinders and his vehicle had broken down and he parked the car to get mechanic to fix it. 

“So it was not a bomb, it was just rumor and we commend people for being vigilant,” Mr. Godiri said, calling on the public to remain calm and to discountenance the hoax.

As of the time of filling this report, the car was still in the police station, but the DPO promised to release it to its owner as soon as he obtained a directive to that effect.