Posted by From ISMAIL OMIPIDAN and BASHIR UMAR, Abuja on
An explosion near Senator Nasir Mantu's residence Monday afternoon was swiftly described by the leadership of the Senate as an attempt on the lives of the their colleagues serving on the Joint Constitution Review Committee (JCRC),
An explosion near Senator Nasir Mantu's residence Monday afternoon was swiftly described by the leadership of the Senate as an attempt on the lives of the their colleagues serving on the Joint Constitution Review Committee (JCRC), with the Senate Leader, Senator Dalhatu Tafida, saying "our lives are in danger."
Mantu, had shortly after the Senate's leadership meeting with the leadership of the party, led by the National Chairman of the party, Ahmadu Ali, told National Assembly correspondents at the corridor near his office in the National Assembly complex that there was a blast near his house in Asokoro, where the alleged bomb exploded in the hands of the alleged bomber.
However, when Daily Sun visited the scene of the incident, which is several metres away from Mantu' s house, a police source who works in Mantu's residence confirmed that there was indeed an explosion, but it was a mere hand grenade, which has nothing to do with the life of his boss.
The eyewitness state further "I was sleeping when I heard the sound. I quickly carried my children and ran for safety. The house (pointing at the uncompleted building) was covered with smoke and fire was burning. When we later went into the house, we saw Salisu (alleged bomber) with part of his body burnt.
"He told the police that when he saw the object, chairman (the store keeper of the building) asked him to throw it away that it has expired.
But Salisu was said to have insisted in knowing the content of the object. It was in the process of opening it that the thing exploded. That was what he (Salisu) told the police in my presence. So the policemen from Mantu's house arrested him and chairman. Chairman was asked to explain how he knew the thing had expired," the eyewitness added.
Earlier Mantu had said "there was no destruction because God nipped it the bud. The thing exploded with the man himself. There is an uncompleted house adjacent to my house. In fact the house has been slated for demolition because it has been marked by FCDA. I understand that the house belongs to the chief security officer of the Vice President.That's what they say.
"And people have been staying there. I was actually going upstairs to pick some papers, I just had the blast gbua….there was smoke all over the place, that is in the compound(not Mantu's). My window is just very close. Maybe in attempt to throw or whatever, and the thing just exploded on the man and he is now in the hospital.
"My security is in the hands of God. I don't really give a damn about this because the truth is that I thank God for the life I have lived and if I die today, that means the time has come and I will be very happy to die," Mantu boasted.