Bomb scare in Jos

There was palpable tension in Jos, the Plateau State capital yesterday as the major streets came under heavy security following speculations that Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) were deposited in some places around the city centre.

The entire Terminus area where trading had not resumed since the bomb blast of last month, as well as Murtala Mohammed Way, Ahmadu Bello Way, Beach Road, Bank Road, and most of Central Bank Road, was closed as security agents moved to sniff out the explosives.

The action, which led to a gridlock also recorded the closure of some bank branches for the day while branches located at the British America Junction and Katako area offered skeletal services and closed to customers by noon.

Expectedly, the action of the security agents stirred rumours while some people attributed the shutdown of the terminus in the neighbourhood to the resolve of the Plateau State Government to ban street trading in Terminus and its environs. Others said the security agents took the action to pave the way for the visit to the area by Vice President Namadi Sambo and Governor Jonah Jang.

However, the Special Task Force (STF), Information Officer, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, later punctured the rumours in a statement, explaining that the task force had been conducting operations around the affected areas since about 1a.m. yesterday.

He said some areas were blocked to make sure that innocent citizens were not caught in the line of fire.

The statement read in part: “The attention of the general public by this release is drawn to an ongoing military operation in the heart of Jos city. The operation which began at about 0145 hrs this morning, is aimed at preventing any loss of lives and property of the good people of Plateau State.

“To this end, the following roads are temporarily shut down to prevent innocent members of the public from being caught in the line of fire. These include Yantaya Junction, ECWA Goodnews Road, Old Bukuru Junction, Terminus Junction, Rwang Pam Street, Kashim Ibrahim Junction by Ahmadu Bello Way, Ahmadu Bello Way (including Hamaz and Unity Bank Junction), Murtala Mohammed Way (University of Jos old campus), and Beach Road by Zenith Bank.”

The STF advised members of the public to keep off the closed streets and go about their normal businesses elsewhere, assuring that adequate security arrangements were in place to protect them.