October 2010 Abuja bombings

October 2010 Abuja car bombings
Part of Conflict in the Niger Delta
Location	Abuja, Nigeria
Date	October 1, 2010 (GMT+1)
Target	Crowds celebrating 50th anniversary of Nigeria's Independence
Attack type	Car bombing
Weapons	Car bomb
Deaths	12
Non-fatal injuries	17
Perpetrator	Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta

The October 2010 Abuja car bombings, also referred to as the 2010 Nigeria Independence Day attacks, were two car bombings carried out against crowds celebrating the fiftieth anniversary (golden jubilee) of Nigeria's independence in the capital city of Abuja on the morning of October 1, 2010. The attacks left 12 dead and 17 injured. According to multiple sources,^[1][2] the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) issued a warning less than an hour before the first bomb stating the location, near Eagle Square (the venue of the celebration), and the time, around 10:30 a.m., of planned bombings.^[3]

The first blast occurred around 10:30 a.m., emergency services arrived at the scene and then happened the second blast.^[2]

Reactions and investigation

A former leader of MEND, Henry Okah, was arrested in South Africa following the twin car bombings.^[4] Okah denied accusations of planning the bombings and was disowned by MEND.^[5] Police in Nigeria also detained Raymond Dokpesi, campaign manager for former Nigerian leader Ibrahim Babangida, for questioning over the bombing. Dokpesi was later released and said his arrest was political in nature.^[6]

Nigerian paper This Day reported that British intelligence was warned of a plot against the 50th anniversary celebrations, and this was the reason Gordon Brown and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester cancelled their trips to Nigeria for the celebration.^[7]

References