THISDAY blast: Police, security agencies recover number plate, vital documents

Abubakar

Security agents are going after the owner of the vehicle used in bombing the Abuja office of ThisDay.
They have already retrieved the number plate of the dark green Isuzu Sports Utility Van (SUV) used by the suicide bomber in the Thursday attack.
Also in their possession are some vital documents that could assist them in tracking the brains behind the explosion.
A major component of the full scale investigation into the bombing by the FCT Police Command and other security agencies is the forensic analysis of parts of the SUV and shrapnel of the explosive device.
The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said yesterday that the state of insecurity in the country was a passing phase.
A top security source told The Nation that the investigation was being handled by all security agencies and the police.
Said the source: “We have been lucky in retrieving the number plate of the SUV used by the suicide bomber. We are actually sieving records to locate where the vehicle was registered in order to know the owner or owners of the ill-fated SUV or whether the ownership had changed hands.
“With the recovery of the number plate, we are actually tracking the sponsors and collaborators behind the explosion.
“There are other clues we are working on, which I may not immediately disclose.
“Some forensic experts have also started analysing shrapnel of the explosive device planted in the SUV for the bombing.”
Maku, speaking after inspecting the scene of the blast  yesterday, said: “I am here to commiserate with THISDAY newspaper over the unfortunate and unprovoked attack on your own establishment here. The President has spoken and I will not want to repeat what the government has already said.
“But as a journalist and Minister of Information and as member of this constituency, I have come to express my personal sympathy and sorrow over this attack, particularly the loss of lives of your guards and other Nigerians in the premises of this organisation. Let me express my personal satisfaction with the statement that has been issued by THISDAY, saying that this organisation will not be intimidated or cajoled by the attack.
“I wish, therefore, to rather encourage you. All of us as journalists and all Nigerians are with you and are praying for you. This is a passing phase in the history of the nation.
“When a nation comes under attack, it calls for greater courage by the citizens; it calls for greater commitment by the citizens; it calls for greater vigilance by the citizens. I therefore express my sympathy to you. I am in solidarity with you. I have come to greet all our colleagues.”
A delegation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also visited the scene and ThisDay Nation’s Capital Editor, Mr. Nduka Nwosu, said the newspaper had been fair in reporting issues concerning Boko Haram in the country.
He said THISDAY would continue to uphold the principles of journalism in spite of the setback.
Nwosu said: “THISDAY management issued a statement on the attack, but I want to assure Nigerians that we will continue to uphold the ethics of this profession. Journalism has its basic principles, and in this profession, THISDAY has distinguished itself severally and maintained the cardinal principles of journalism.”
Reacting to a question on the accusation by the Islamic sect that THISDAY had been misrepresenting its positions, Nwosu dismissed it as a bias.
He added: “We have always been balanced and fair in our reports. We have not gone beyond what other newspapers have been doing, and to that extent, we will continue to look at issues passionately.
“Of course, we have whipped the government when there was need for that and when they were doing what was wrong. My organisation will always want to see things from a balanced point of view.
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, sent a delegation led by the National Secretary of party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.
In his message, Tukur said there was need for security agencies in the country to intensify their efforts at curtailing the activities of the sect.
He said: “This is a very bad development. It is surprising. I can only implore the security agencies to step up their duties to ensure that decency returns to Nigeria.
“I want to urge you to continue with your duties and don’t be discouraged. I want to use this occasion to encourage the security personnel to step up their operations curtailing the activities of this sect. likewise;
“I will like to advise Nigerians that security is not a key duty reserved for government alone. As individuals, any information no matter how minute should passed on to security agencies to forestall this kind of incident.’’