History Of Bomb Blasts In Nigeria

THE history of bomb blasts in Nigeria is as old as a 25-year-old man. It could be traced to October 19, 1986, during the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida-led military regime, when Mr. Dele Giwa, the Founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine, was killed with a mail bomb in his home in Ikeja, Lagos. This dastardly act was generally believed to be state-sponsored.www.naijapaymentonline.com

Since then, series of bombing incidents had been reported in the country, with majority of them happening under the despotic rule of the late General Sanni Abacha, whom many people fingered as sponsoring the killings to intimidate opponents of his regime.
There was an isolated case of accidental bomb explosions, which took place at the Ikeja Cantonment in Lagos in 2002, leading to the death of more than 1,000 persons.
Below are some of the reported cases of bombings, which have literally become a routine in the northern parts of the country:

• October 19, 1986: At Dele Giwa’s house in Ikeja, Lagos.
• May 31, 1995: Ilorin Stadium. Just before the launch of the Family Support Programme.
• January 18, 1996: Durbar Hotel, Kaduna. Suspected dead bomber reportedly bought a copy of Wole Soyinka’s book prior to the blast.
• January 20, 1996: Aminu Kano Int’l Airport, Kano.
• April 11, 1996: Ikeja Cantonment, Lagos.
• April 25, 1996: Air Force Base, Ikeja.
• November 14, 1996: Murtala Mohammed Airport, which claimed the life of a Chief Security Officer.
• December 16, 1996: Bomb blast rocked the convoy of Military Governor of Lagos State, Colonel Marwa.
• December 18, 1996: Bus belonging to the Lagos State Task Force on      Environmental Sanitation was hit.
• January 17, 1997: Bus belonging to the Nigerian Army hit.
• April 22, 1997: Blast in Evans Square, Lagos, claimed three lives, injured several.
• December 13, 1997: Lt. Gen Oladipo Diya escaped death at the Abuja Airport.
• May 12, 1997: Ibadan witnessed its first dose explosion in front of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing at Eleyele road, near Jericho Hospital.
• January 27, 2002: Bombs stored at the Ikeja Cantonment exploded, leading to the death of over 1,000 Lagosians fleeing in fear. Many of them drowned in the Oke-Afa canal.
• March 15, 2010: In Warri, during an Amnesty Dialogue sponsored by Vanguard Media Limited, suspected to be planted by MEND, a group of Niger-Delta militants.
• October 1, 2010: During Nigeria’s 50th Independence anniversary celebrations in Abuja, suspected to be detonated by MEND. Several persons killed.
• April 8, 2011: At INEC office in Suleja, Niger State, killing several persons.
• April 26, 2011: In Maiduguri, Borno State.
• May 29, 2011: At an Army Barracks in Bauchi.
• January 1, 2011: At an Abuja Army Barracks mammy market.
On April 8, 2011: A bomb blast killed at least six people at the office of INEC in Suleja, hours before polls were due to open for parliamentary elections.
• May 29, 2011: Explosion at the mammy market of Shandawanka Barracks in Bauchi. Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika, confirmed that 13 people died and 40 were injured.
• May 30, 2011: An early morning bomb explosion occurred on Baga road in Maiduguri.
• June 16, 2011: A bomb blast hit the Police Headquarters in Abuja, triggered by a suspected suicide bomber, who drove his vehicle into the premises. The bomber died in the incident.
August 26, 2011.A bomb blast hit the UN building in Abuja, Nigeria capital killing 18 people.
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