40 dead as newspaper offices bombed in Nigeria

Lagos, April 26 (IANS) At least 37 people were killed and 100 others injured Thursday when suicide bombers rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the office of This Day daily, a leading Nigerian newspaper, in the capital city Abuja. A second office was bombed in Kaduna state in which three people died.

Abisola Fernades, medical director of Safelive Foundation Hospital, who was also part of the rescue team, told Xinhua that at least 37 bodies were taken away by emergency workers deployed in Abuja.

He said security personnel and emergency workers at the scene of the explosion in Abuja made frantic efforts to bring out the mangled bodies of the victims. He said about 100 more people were injured in the attack.

Kaduna state police spokesperson Aminu Lawan told Xinhua three lives were lost and several others were injured in the attack.

Yushau A. Shuaib, spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency, said rescue personnel had arrived at both places to take the injured to hospital.

He said the explosion in Kaduna took place at a building housing many media houses including This Day, The Sun and The Moment.

Shuaib had earlier said reports indicated that explosive devices were planted within the premises, and it was not a case of suicide bombing.

No outfit has claimed responsibility for the blasts. But the Boko Haram has been carrying out similar attacks in the country, said Xinhua.

BBC said three people were killed in the Abuja blast and a similar number in Kaduna.