THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has debunked rumours of a bomb blast in Maitama, Abuja, saying the explosion in the area resulted from an overheated refuse bin.
FCT Police public relations officer (PPRO) Josephine Adeh made this known in a statement on Wednesday, January 24, saying two people were injured as a result of the incident.
“The FCT Police Command hereby wishes to update the public on an alleged explosion on 24/01/2024 at about 11:45 hrs, near a refuse dump outside the Bureau of Public Enterprise premises in Maitama, Abuja.
“A rapid response team and members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit were deployed to assess the situation, and preliminary findings indicate that an overheated metal refuse container activated under intense heat exploded, thereby causing injury to two of the refuse evacuators, who are currently receiving medical attention in Maitama General Hospital,” she noted.
Adeh urged members of the public to avoid using metal refuse bins and recommended plastic bins, which are less likely to pose certain risks associated with metal containers.
Reports had circulated on social media suggesting that there was a bomb blast in the Maitama area of the FCT on Wednesday.
Many social media users, including Chinasa Awo, who posted via X, had alleged that a bomb blast claimed five lives.
“There are reports of a loud explosion in the Maitama area of Abuja. This is happening one week after the Ibadan explosion that claimed five lives. Details later,” Awo posted.
The report had stirred panic among social media users who are residents in Abuja.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.