Police speak out on Abuja blast, allay fears of bomb blast

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has denied reports of a bomb explosion in the Maitama district of the territory on Wednesday.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, superintendent of police, the police said it was an explosion caused by an overheated metal garbage container activated under intense heat.

Reports indicated earlier in the day that there was a bomb blast in the federal capital.

Police explained that the explosion occurred at a landfill outside the premises of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), causing injuries to two garbage evacuators, who are currently receiving medical attention at the Maitama General Hospital.

“The FCT Police Command hereby wishes to inform the public of a suspected explosion on January 24, 2024, at around 11:45 am, near a garbage dump outside the Companies Office premises. Public in Maitama, Abuja.

“A rapid response team and members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit were deployed to assess the situation and preliminary findings indicate that an overheated metal trash container, activated under intense heat, exploded, causing injuries to two of the evacuators. of garbage, who are currently receiving medical attention at the Maitama General Hospital.

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“The FCT Police Command urges the public to exercise caution and refrain from using metal garbage containers. “Instead, we recommend the use of plastic or rubber containers for waste disposal as they pose a reduced risk of incidents involving overheated metal trash containers,” the statement said.