Bomb scare in Bayelsa State

There was pandemonium on Saturday in Yenagoa along the Yenezue-Egene area of the state capital when a man, believed to be of Hausa ethnicity, was seen with two bags that evoked suspicion from members of the public.
The middle aged man was accosted by some passers-bye who demanded to know what he was carrying.
The man reportedly abandoned the bags and fled, raising suspicion in the minds of people that the bags might be laden with explosives.
A witness, Tari Bokumo, said that instead of surrendering the bags to the security operatives, the man abandoned them and ran away.
"His action led to panic along the road, as people fled the area and there was confusion.
"But shortly after that men of the anti-bomb squad of the Nigeria Police arrived the scene", he said.
The Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Hilary Okpara, who spoke to journalists late Saturday, asked residents to be calm as there was no bomb.
"When I heard of the rumour, I dispatched operatives of the anti-bomb squad of the state command to the scene to carry out investigation.
"The operatives recovered the bags but they were containing only electric wires. There was no explosive in them. It could be that the man stole them," the police boss said.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the suspect was initially chased and apprehended by residents of the area, but was later released after police clarified that the bags contained no explosives.
Mr. Okpara expressed appreciation to members of the public who raised alarm when the suspect abandoned the bag and fled.
He appealed to the public to continue to monitor their environment and report suspicious movements and objects to the police.
Gist Arena