Nigeria probes deadly blasts

KANO, May 30, 2011 - Nigerian police Monday probed a set of bomb blasts that ripped through a crowded beer garden at a military barracks, killing at least 10 people after President Goodluck Jonathan's inauguration.

It remained unclear who was behind the three bomb blasts that went off near simultaneously on Sunday night in the northern city of Bauchi, located in one of the states hardest hit by deadly post-poll riots last month.

An emergency source speaking on condition of anonymity said the death toll was at least 10 and called the incident "devastating."

There were fears the toll could rise significantly, with one army officer who participated in the rescue telling AFP he estimated at least 20 people were dead and scores wounded, though there was no official confirmation.

"By my estimation because I was involved in the rescue operation, the number of people killed could not be less than 20. Scores of others were injured in the blasts which occurred at five-seconds interval," said the officer who declined to be identified.

There were at least 2,000 people in the "mammy market" when the blasts went off, he said. Such markets, which include beer gardens and eateries, are commonly found at Nigerian barracks and are open to civilians.

The Bauchi market was particularly popular since the state is one of 12 in northern Nigeria with Islamic sharia law, nominally outlawing alcohol, though it is selectively enforced and drinking spots can still be found across the region.

Security was tightened around the scene of the blasts, with the area cordoned off and movement restricted, security officers said.

Bauchi state police commissioner Abdulkadir Indabawa said the attacks were caused by "locally made devices."

Authorities and newspapers gave varying death tolls as is often the case in Nigeria, with officials frequently seeking to downplay the number of victims.

Indabawa said five were dead and some 20 people wounded and that no arrests have been made yet. There was no indication of who was behind the blasts.

"There were lots of people since it's a Sunday evening," Indabawa said. "People were relaxing, eating and drinking."

The barracks commander told reporters that the three bombs went off at "exactly 8:00 pm when people were relaxing." He said two people were killed and seven wounded.

"All victims were civilians," said Brigadier General Agbo Robinson.

Bauchi is located several hundred kilometres away from the capital Abuja, where Jonathan was sworn in.

An Islamist sect known as Boko Haram, which launched an uprising in 2009 and has been blamed for dozens of killings in the northeast, has also been active in Bauchi.

In September, the sect was blamed for a prison raid in Bauchi that freed some 700 inmates, including 100 alleged Boko Haram members.

Also on Sunday in a separate incident in Zuba on the outskirts of Abuja, an explosion hit a beer parlour, causing three minor injuries, according to Yushau Shuaib, a spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency.

Jonathan was sworn in on Sunday following an election seen as the fairest in nearly two decades in Africa's most populous nation, pledging in his inaugural address to transform a divided country hit by deadly post-poll riots.

The 53-year-old southern Christian comfortably beat his main opponent, ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari from the mainly Muslim north, in the April 16 vote, but three days of rioting followed which killed more than 800 people.

He took the oath amid extremely tight security, with some 10,000 security personnel deployed, mobile phone services cut and helicopters flying overhead.

Some two dozen African heads of state attended the inauguration at Abuja's Eagle Square. Twin car bombs occurred near the same venue during October's independence day celebrations, killing at least 12 people.