A bomb has exploded outside the venue of President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential election campaign rally in Gombe State.
The bomb, which was to have been planted in a tricycle, exploded on Abubakar Habu Hashidu Road, less than 200 metres from the gates of the Gombe State Stadium where the rally was taking place.
Mohammed Bolari, who was at the rally, in the northeastern city of Gombe, said the explosion happened at 3:10 pm some three minutes after Jonathan’s departure.
A witness, who asked not to be identified, said: “The president had just passed the parking lot and we were trailing behind his convoy when the explosion happened… just 100 metres from the bus we were driving in.”
Jonathan’s visit to Gombe came just a day after two blasts in the state, including one that targeted a military checkpoint. At least five people were killed.
There was no claim of responsibility for Sunday’s attacks but Gombe has been hit by suspected Boko Haram militants in the past and suspicion was likely to fall on the Islamist group.
Bolari said of the latest blast: “It is difficult to say how many people were affected because of the confused struggle by the huge crowd leaving the venue to escape for fear of another blast.”
The witness said that the explosion led to unrest, with crowds of angry youths attacking anyone seen with any PDP signs.
“They were shouting and denouncing the president’s visit which they blamed for the attack,” he added.
“We had a difficult time passing through these crowds. At one point a crowd threw stones at our vehicle. Some reporters sustained cuts from smashed window screens.”