The Plateau State Government and the state police command have dismissed as false, claims that a bomb explosion rocked a part of Joe, the state capital.
The state ministry of information and the police spokesman in the state in separate statements, said the rumours of a bomb blast or the discovery of what appeared to be a bomb were untrue and misleading.
Commissioner for Information and Communication, Musa Ashoms, said the primary concern of the state government is ensuring the safety and well-being of all residents of the state, stating that “there was no bomb blast in the Terminus area or any part of Plateau State.”
Ashoms disclosed that the police anti- bomb squad condoned off the area where the rumoured substance suspected to be a bomb was found, only to discover that it was disposed thrash in a cellophane bag.
“Emergency services were deployed to the area only to discover that it was a false alarm that was raised.
“As a government, we call on our citizens to go about their normal legitimate businesses and to remain calm and rely on official updates. We will provide accurate information when the need arises.
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“Our metro buses are equipped with state of the art security gadgets and physical screening by well- trained security personnel are carried out before commuters are allowed to board the buses.
“We urge the public to disregard these baseless alarm and go about there normal activities as there was no bomb blast or security breech in our state,” he said.
Also, the police in its reaction, said it received a report at 8.20am that explosives were allegedly found inside a shallow dug hole at Ahmadu Bello Way, beside Old JUTH fence which created panic among the residents of Jos.
DSP Alfred Alabo, the police image-maker, stated that the state police command upon receiving the report, ordered the despatch of its explosive ordnance disposal unit to mobilize to assess the situation and take necessary actions.
“On reaching the scene, the area was immediately cordoned and our anti-bomb team began examination. Upon conclusion of the examination, the hole was found to be safe and free of any explosive devices,” Alabo said.
He said the state Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adesina, who led a team to visit the scene for an on the spot assessment, commended the people of the state for being security conscious, and for cooperating with the police throughout the exercise.
While urging the residents of Jos to go about their normal business activities without fear, as the area is safe and free of any threats to lives and properties, Adesina advised the public to always report any suspicious activity around their communities.
