An explosion occurred near a military barracks in the Nigerian capital Abuja, the army announced Monday, as an intelligence source told AFP that the suspected attacker had died.
“Explosion At Bus Stop Opposite Mogadishu Cantonment Abuja. Situation Under Control. Details Later,” said the Nigerian army in a post on X.
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An intelligence source told AFP that the “explosive blew up the person in possession of the explosive” with one seriously injured person taken to Abuja’s Defence medical hospital.
Pictures seen by AFP showed the bloodied body of man in a green-and-white shirt and black trousers lying on the ground.
Police spokeswoman Josephine Adeh said the explosion occurred around 2:50 pm (1350 GMT) and that explosive ordnance disposal unit officers were deployed to the scene.
“The affected area was swiftly cordoned off for analysis to ensure the safety of commuters and residents,” she said in a statement, adding a male victim was rescued at the scene and taken to hospital, without giving more details.
“A comprehensive investigation has commenced, including detailed forensic analysis, to ascertain the exact cause and nature of the explosion,” she said.
The barracks is located around five kilometres from the presidential villa, according to an AFP journalist.
Abuja has in the past witnessed bombings claimed by Boko Haram.
In August 2011 a UN building in Abuja was struck by a suicide car, killing 18 people. On Christmas Day of the same year, an explosion struck St. Theresa Catholic Church, killing 35 worshippers and injuring 52 others.
In April 2014 two bombs exploded at a crowded bus station in Nyanya area of Abuja, killing at least 88 people and injuring at least 200.
Two months later, a bomb ripped through a busy Abuja shopping district, killing at least 21 people and injuring 52 others.
In July 2022, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters blasted their way into Kuje prison outside Abuja with explosives, killing five people and freeing 879 inmates, although almost half were recaptured in the following days.
Since then the city had hardly recorded any attack.
AFP