N/Assembly workers flee over bomb scare

Rumour of hidden bomb at the National Assembly forced workers and bankers to close their offices yesterday and hurried out of the complex.

The Senate and House of Representatives are on three-week Easter holiday leaving few lawmakers in their offices.

By 10 am, the rumour mill was agog and it gained momentum as the day wore on with some members of staff at the National Assembly saying the Department of Security Services (DSS) had directed that everyone should vacate the complex by 2:30pm.

The rumour reportedly came after some civil servants and parliamentary aides sighted unidentified persons moving in groups raising suspicion of possible terror attack.

Last Monday, a bomb explosion rocked a bus stop in Nyanya, a suburb of Abuja killing over 70 and injuring about 216.

Shortly after 2pm, our correspondents saw people running to toward the exit gate.

Those that have cars were also seen speeding off to leave the complex, causing gridlock at the entrance.

Some of the staff told journalists that the bomb attack was targeted at the complex annex, where majority of the management staff occupy.

However, when journalists visited the place, which is separate from where the Senate and House chambers are located, some security operatives were seen who said there was no such thing.

Later around 5.pm, our reporters saw only a few staff leaving their offices at the complex.

A DSS official who did not want to be named told Daily Trust that it was all rumour and that the service did not order anybody to leave the complex.

The DSS official said: “People are just afraid for nothing. We’re just doing our job. Yes, sniffer dogs and additional security men were brought in to forestall any attack, which is normal based on the bomb blast yesterday (Monday) in Nyanya. So, that information is not from us at all.”

When contacted, House spokesman, Rep Zakari Mohammed, said the bomb scare was all rumours, adding that it was fallout of Monday’s bomb attack at Nyanya.