KANO, Nigeria (AFP) – Police defused an explosive device planted in an electoral office in northern Nigeria’s Yobe State a day before a ceremony involving the new state governor, an officer said Thursday.
“The police discovered some explosive device planted in the INEC office in Damaturu on Wednesday,” state commissioner of police Sulaiman Lawal told AFP, referring to the national electoral commission.
He said a police bomb squad defused the explosive before it could go off, adding that some bomb-making components were also found at another location in the outskirts of the city.
“We are still not sure who was behind planting of the explosive and it is too early to point accusing fingers at anybody,” he said.
The discoveries came a day before the new governor was to receive an official certificate of his election last month from INEC.
Nigeria held legislative, governorship and presidential polls in April, but the vote which was judged the fairest since a return to civilian rule in 1999 was still marred by rigging and deadly violence, including bombings.