TheCable

The explosion near the British high commission at Aguiyi Ironsi road, Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday morning was not from a bomb as being feared, officials have said.

There was panic at Maitama after a Peugeot car went up in flames near the British high commission.

According to a witness, the charred car had the licence plate of the ministry of labour and productivity.

“The car got near the British high commission and just caught fire; the driver jump out of it unhurt,” he said.

“Firefighters arrived early to quench the fire. I don’t think it was a bomb explosion because the car did not disintegrate. And there was no casualty.”

Another witness said the car “probably malfunctioned and burst into flames”.

“It was not a bomb attack, but the location where it occurred gives the suggestion that it was a bomb attack.”

The driver of the car was not at the site of the accident at the time TheCable arrived.

Public relations officer of the police in FCT, Emeka Onya, confirmed the incident, but said it was not a bomb explosion.

“There is no bomb explosion in Abuja,” he said. “If there was, we would already know.”

Abuja has witnessed three bomb blasts in three months. The first and second blasts occurred at Nyanya on 14 April and May 1 respectively, while the third blast occurred at Wuse 2, the heart of the city.