About 10 people were feared dead and many badly injured last night when an explosion rocked the Sabongari area of Kano.
The blast occurred at a hotel around 9:30pm when people were relaxing.
No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion, which bore the imprint of the Boko Haram insurgents.
An eyewitness told our correspondent that the incident occurred in a hotel on Gold Coast Road, near Aithen Road, Sabongari, an area populated mainly by non-indigenes.
The explosion sent people scampering to safety during which many were injured.
The Joint Task Force (JTF) cordoned off the area shortly after.
Also yesterday, there was an explosion near the Port Harcourt refinery. Seven people were killed and scores injured.
But resultant fire did not affect the refinery before it was put out.
The fire was sparked by the activities of illegal bunkerers at a creek near the NNPC jetty in Okrika, Rivers State.
Okrika Local Government Tamuno Chairman Williams said the exposition was caused “by the activities of illegal bunkers who were siphoning petrol from NNPC facilities. “For now, I will say seven die, scores injured and they are being treated in hospitals in Rivers State,” Williams said.
The security personnel reporters from the scene of the explosion.
Mr. Frank Abe, a resident of the area, said the number of the causalities was more than seven, “ Many people died, how can they say it is only seven that died. Security personnel don’t want people to enter to certain the real figure,” he said.
The Port Harcourt Refinery Executive Director, Services, Ralph Ugwu, said there was no explosion at the refinery but accepted that an explosion took place at Okrika creek
He said: “Our refinery is working; there is nothing like explosion, the only thing that happened is that some people vandalise the pipeline to steal crude oil and in the process, their boat exploded. It was not within the refinery.
“I don’t know about the number of people that died, but on our own side, there is no casualty. I cannot speak on what does not concern the NNPC because NNPC did not record any casualty and our operations are going on smoothly.”
Police spokesman Ahmad Mohammad, who spoke through his deputy Grace Iringe Koko, confirmed the incident.
Southsouth Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Umesi Emenike confirmed the fire.
Emenike told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the fire did not affect the main refinery before it was put out by Fire Service officers.
“Our officers are still assessing the situation. At the moment, we cannot give details of the extent of damage,’’ Emenike said.
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