Blasts: Police boost security at newspaper houses

[TheNation]

Security forces personnel arrive at the site of a blast in Kaduna, on Thursday. A suicide attack at the Abuja bureau of a top Nigerian newspaper and a car bombing at another of its offices killed at least six people. Photo: Getty Images   Nigerian police stepped up security at newspaper buildings on Friday as authorities probed unprecedented attacks on the media, with two offices belonging to a prominent paper bombed.

The attacks against the influential ThisDay newspaper in the capital Abuja and the northern city of Kaduna killed at least nine people, drew widespread condemnation and came after the Boko Haram sect issued threats to the media.

"Yesterday we started sending additional patrols to what we have on the ground with them," Abuja police spokesman Moshood Jimoh said of media buildings.

AFP news agency reported that precautions were also taken in the economic capital Lagos, which has so far not been targeted by such bombings that have mainly affected the north of Africa's most populous nation and largest oil producer.

"The (commissioner of police) gave a directive yesterday to all area commanders and divisional police officers to beef up security at media houses," said Lagos State police spokesman Joseph Jaiyeoba.

If Boko Haram is confirmed as the culprit, it would be yet another escalation in the group's insurgency that has killed hundreds, with the United Nations, churches and local authorities having already been among its targets.





TheNation