Imported User:
The Sun Publishing Ltd said in Abuja on Thursday that it would not be intimidated by the explosion at the premises of its North West Zonal headquarters in Kaduna.
A statement issued by Mr Tony Onyima, the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of the company, said `in spite of ``the seeming setback by the attack, ``The Sun Publishing Limited remains undeterred and refuses to be intimidated in its quest for a better and safer Nigeria.
``We will continue to report without fear of favour and with utmost sense of responsibility and patriotism.’’
It said that the explosion, which occurred about 11.30 a.m., did not hurt any member of staff of the company.
``Although there were casualties, no staff of The Sun died or suffered any physical injury,'' the statement said.
It said that the office building on KontagoraRoad, which also housed the state offices of two other newspapers, namely THISDAY and The Moment, was attacked by a suspected suicide bomber in a Honda car.
The statement said that the bomb-laden vehicle failed to explode on impact with the building but that when the driver was disposing of the bombs as demanded by the residents.
``The explosion occurred when a suspected suicide bomber, driving a gold coloured Honda Academy, with registration number AL 306 MKA rammed into the building. However, the bomb-laden vehicle failed to explode on impact with the building.
``But when the driver of the car jumped out and began to shout that there were bombs inside the vehicle and that they would explode any moment, angry residents and onlookers seized him and forced him to begin to dispose of the bombs.
``In the process one of them exploded killing three people and injuring several others,’’ the statement said.
It said that angry youths attempted to lynch the driver ``but for the timely intervention of the policemen who had by then been invited to the scene by our North West bureau chief.
``The police and other security agencies have since moved in to investigate the matter, just as the security operatives have also taken custody of the driver and suspected suicide bomber.''
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that suicide bombers attacked the Abuja office of THISDAY newspaper in the early hours of Thursday, killing three people and injuring many others. . (NAN)
