Nigeria Content Online

Weeks after a bomb
explosion scared away government officials at a Niger Delta peace
confab in Warri, Delta State, another explosion on Monday again rocked
the Warri office of the Niger Delta Development Commission, causing
pandemonium around the city. The explosion, which occurred around 8pm
Monday after the workers had closed for the day, left a deep hole in
the granite floor of the building and ripped part of its roof. Resident
of the area said the explosion caused them a sleepless night, sending
shivers down their spine.

According to an eye
witness account; “We thought it was militant attack at the initial
stage, so we started running. Shops were hurriedly locked and people
just went to sleep until this morning when some of us went there and
saw what happened.”

The Delta State
Commissioner on the Board of NDDC, Emmanuel Ogidi, however, said the
explosion was not as a result of bomb but a fault with an
air-conditioner compressor.

“It wasn’t a bomb explosion, police sent expert here and confirmed that it wasn’t,” Mr Ogidi said. “It was an AC fault,

but this incident will also enable us relocate. We will try to repair whatever we can repair until we move somewhere else”.

He clarified that
the explosion should not be mistaken for the activities of some youth,
who have been threatening the commission’s office.

“There has been
couple of threats here and there. Some youths have been coming to
threaten the staff,” he said. “We have reported that to the Area
Commander and they have taken up the matter. But the youths are not
responsible for what happened. But when you issue a threat and
something happened, it can be tied to it”.

A detachment of
anti-riot police and conventional policemen seen yesterday at the
commission’s office however ruled out bomb attack from the explosion
when our correspondent visited.

The Divisional Police officer (DPO), B-Division, Warri, Christopher
Luke, who was at the scene also told newsmen that the explosion came
from the Air conditioner. He urged the staff and residents of the area
to go about their normal businesses.