President Rupiah Banda has expressed his deep sadness over the bombings in Abuja Friday as Nigeria celebrated 50 years of independence.
Mr Banda said he delivered his condolences to Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan at State House Saturday morning when the two leaders met.
According to the Zambia National Broadcasting Services (ZNBC) website he said he told President Jonathan that the Nigerians would pull through even in the face of many challenges.
Mr Banda was speaking to reporters at the Mnandi Azikiwe international airport Saturday shortly before leaving Abuja for Lusaka.
Mr Banda said it is sad that the bombings took place on a happy day.
And President Banda said he is sure that the ties between Zambia and Nigeria would continue to grow.
He also praised the business people who have helped to market Zambia in Nigeria.
Meanwhile Reuters reports that the death toll from car bombs that exploded near a parade marking Nigeria’s 50th anniversary of independence rose to 12 today.Authorities admitted they had been warned of the attack.
Jimoh Moshoo, police spokesman in the capital, Abuja, said 17 people were wounded in Friday’s blasts, which went off about an hour after an emailed bomb threat from a rebel group in the oil-producing Niger delta.
Nigerian paper This Day, citing presidency sources, said British intelligence had got wind of a plot and passed on a warning to Abuja. Britain’s Duke of Gloucester, who was due to represent Queen Elizabeth II at the event, pulled out.
The secret service in Africa’s most populous nation confirmed it had received foreign tip-offs and had stepped up security accordingly, including towing 65 vehicles from the streets and cordoning off roads leading to the parade ground.
“If we had ignored them the situation could have perhaps been worse than what happened,” State Security Service spokeswoman Marilyn Ogar said.
News outlets including Reuters received an emailed bomb warning about an hour before the explosions, signed by Jomo Gbomo, principal spokesman for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).
Ogar said Henry Okah, a senior member of MEND, had been arrested in South Africa. Police there declined to comment.
MEND has been fighting for years for a greater share of oil revenues for the delta, home to Africa’s biggest oil and gas industry, but signed an amnesty with the government last year.
President Goodluck Jonathan, who faces an election next year and who is from the impoverished delta region, has condemned the attacks and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
[ZNBC,Reuters]
Ala nolwendela lwine. You can just die for nothing or sorry, allowances.
Well, these endless and useless trips of his. Next time the bomb will explode right in his backside ushering us a state funeral. Though I dread the prospects of the red lipped one ascending to plot 1, that would be national agony.
Well said Mr President. Our sympathies lie with those who have suffered a loss in Nigeria. We are all subject to death and I hope those who have been wishing your demise dont pass away before you. No one can escape death, you can die in your own house or you can die whilst travelling, it is not in the hands of us mere mortals. I wish you a safe and pleasant journey back to mother Zambia.
Dear Mr President, don’t let you, VJ and Dan Kalale push Zambians to those levels by rigging elections like the MMD has done since 1996. Be gracious and let the will of the people prevail. We do not want a MEND.
Mr President (RB), may the good LORD protect you as you travel around the world. May he grant wisdon and intelligence to those technitians that maintain your jet. May the good LORD also grant you all the wisdom you need to Lead this nation. Mr President, the good LORD took you from the farm to State house to lead his people, just as he too David from following his father’s sheep to go and lead the nation of isreal, God’s peaople.
It seems you were shaken by the bombings, the best advice is to suspend all these trips for good.
Lesa, this God of ours awe mwandi Alaabee was right there………………… no one knows the day or the hour May the souls of those who died rest in peace. The poor in Africa become pooorer each day they live the rich become richer each day. death is one thing that make us equal.
i wish the bomb was put under your chair because we have been talking about this nonsen.se but you still continue doing it. so next time it will be a plane fault.
It is getting closer. Sooner or later death will catch up with you.
MEND stands for Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta. We do not want a MEZI or Movement for the Emancipation of Zambian Indigenes. Mr President, no more rigging of elections pilishi pantu tachakawame iyo. People are watching you, chiVJ and ka Dan Kalale. You saw for yourself what pent up anger can do when people are trampled upon.
Mhhh, be ware next time it will be a plane crashing and dead you will be. This is just a warning to you RB if indeed you are wise.
You are on the move aimlessly like a headless chiken. Useless president.
#1: Ala wasosa bwino. Nolwendela umuntu yu, nabukote!!
How i wish you were caught up in those bombings RB.
The worst thing was thing my people is that I was the only foreign President among the traditional igwes of Nigeria.
moving when your doctors are not reporting for work..it is warse than that bombing sir….think please