15th April, 2014
Legislators and civil servants on Tuesday afternoon vacated the National Assembly Complex in Abuja following a bomb scare around the complex.
Workers at the complex were apprehensive, as it was only on Monday that scores of people were killed in a twin bomb explosion at Nyanya, a suburb of Abuja.
Offices, banks and restaurants within the premises quickly locked up, while officers of the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Department of State Security Service were alerted and they quickly mobilised and were seen patrolling the area to avert any mishap.
The confusion, which started around 2 p.m., followed a tip allegedly given during a meeting between the clerk of the National Assembly and management staff.
The tension spread as far as the Federal Secretariat and civil servants were seen trooping out of their offices.
Some of the workers, who were rushing out of the premises, said that their superiors directed them to lock-up and go home.
Reacting to the development, the Acting Sergeant-at-Arms, Mr Ibrahim Ndako, said the bomb scare was a mere rumour and should be disregarded.
He said “there is nothing like that. It was just a rumour. Those banks that closed chose to close. We have told you that there is nothing like that. It is all rumour.’’