We had intelligence report on Emab plaza bombing – DSS

The Department of State Service (DSS) yesterday said it received security report of impending attacks on markets and shopping malls as well as big business concerns, two weeks before Wednesday’s bomb attack on the ever-busy EMAB Plaza in Abuja.
The explosion left 21 persons dead and 17 others with varying degrees of injury, while 15 vehicles were also confirmed damaged.
Addressing journalists at the scene of the attack, yesterday, the DSS Deputy Director, Media and Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, said the Service got wind of the planned attack, which lead to the police taking over major markets in Abuja.
She said that operatives of the agency were compelled operatives keep surveillance at markets and busy plazas including Emab.

Ogar added that as a proactive measure aimed at nipping likely attacks in the bud, a surveillance team patrolled malls, including Emab plaza, pointing out that the service team were at the plaza until 11pm on the day of the attack.
She said: “We had intelligence about two weeks ago, that a market or busy shopping plaza will be attacked in Abuja.
“Our surveillance van goes around markets and busy plazas on daily bases. They were here till about 11pm on Wednesday.”
Also speaking, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Frank Mba, charged operators of shopping malls and other big businesses to install Close Circuit Televisions (CCTVs) in their business places, stating that they could serve as deterrent to criminals as well as provide much needed evidence to security forces during investigation.

He said: “We want to encourage business owners to go a step further to install CCTVs in their business places. There is need to institute a very strict regime of access control which is what saved the situation here.
“There is also need to keep away hawkers from big businesses and plazas because it attract other people together and make the target softer. We are not unmindful of the poverty situation in the country; however, government can strengthen micro-finance system to help small business owners to access loans to expand their business.”

He declared that the casualty figure from Wednesday’s attack had not changed.
In a related development, the DSS has said that the suspect, who “packaged” the ill-fated trip by 486 “travellers” who were intercepted in Abia on their way to Port-Harcourt, the Rivers state, has been arrested by security operatives in Bauchi state.
The suspect, she said, would be taken to Abia state for further interrogation in connection with on-going investigation.