Bomb scare, on Friday, hit the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), just a few days after bombers were reported to have unveiled plans to carry out a major attack on the territory before the end of June to cap its possibly bloodiest campaign this month.

Eyewitness told Saturday Tribune that there was a sort of stampede immediately after Friday’s prayer as worshipers scampered for safety as they got wind of an alleged bomb planted between headquarters of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Top View Hotel located at Wuse Zone 5.

Apart from the headquarters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), banks, malls and other private investments, including gardens are located around the area.

The eyewitness who did not want his name mentioned told Saturday Tribune that movement was restricted to a single lane while people abandoned the area.

When Saturday Tribune got to the area, there was normalcy with policemen in sight.

None of the officers volunteered information. One of them merely responded, “We are on normal duty” and declined further questions.

However, one Azeez noted that tension was high when the rumour spread such that workers had to scamper for their safety.

According to him, “The moment we finished prayer, everybody started running. We actually noticed some tension when prayers were going on, but we had to conclude our prayers. I joined them to run though I did not know why they were running.”

Up till the time of this report, no explosion was heard anywhere in Abuja, neither was there any confirmation that anti-bomb squad defused any explosive.

When journalists contacted the new FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Mustapha Rasheed on phone for comments, he described the scare as a rumour.

Meanwhile, No fewer than six people were brutally murdered and six others injured in Mangu local government area of Plateau State, on Friday, when some assailants suspected to be Fulani herdsmen stormed Kumpun village in the early hour of the day.

A source at the local government told Saturday Tribune that the assailants, numbering 30, stormed the village in a commando like operation at about 3:30 AM, shooting  at random to probably to force the inhabitants out of their homes.

Some of the assailants reportedly descended on one Dakibang family and killed six of members in their sleep including a six-month old baby, 70-year-old woman, 12-year-old-boy and three others, while two others in the family were macheted they tried to escape.

Saturday Tribune further learnt that the suspected herdsmen ransacked the entire village and injured four other people before they bolted away through a nearby bush.

It was learnt that the assailants had a field day as they carried out operation unhindered despite repeated call to the law enforcement agents by concerned individuals.

A prominent leader in the local government, who craved anonymity, told Saturday Tribune that men of the Special Task Force and the Police arrived the village at about 6.22 a.m. when the assailant had gone and met the resident wailing.

While at the village to commiserate with the people over the incident, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. John Clark Dabuwan, who condemned the attack said it was barbaric.

“I couldn’t imagine that somebody, with blood flowing through his system could carry out such evil act; this is nothing but a wicked and barbaric act,” he said.

The speaker implored the people to shun reprisal attack but to be more vigilant adding the state government was doing its best to arrest the situation and bring the culprits to book.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Emmanuel Abuh confirmed that six people were killed in the attack adding  that the unknown gunmen stormed the village in the early hour of Friday.

He said the law enforcement agents are working round the clock to bring those behind the killings to book, as more policemen had been deployed to the affected area.

Meanwhile, The most wanted Boko Haram stragestist, Habeeb Bama, reportedly captured by the Security Joint Task Force (JTF), in Damaturu,Yobe State on Thursday after a fierce gun battle with Security agents is dead.

A highly placed security source who confirmed this to the Saturday Tribune in Abuja on Friday in confidence said Habeeb Hama died as a result of the multiple wounds he sustained during the gun duel with the operatives of the JTF before he was overpowered.

The Department of State Security,DSS, had earlier decleared him wanted in connection with bomb blasts at various locations  including those of the United Nations House ,Police Force Headquarters and Abacha Barracks,all in Abuja as well as that of Madalla in Niger State, among others.

Though the spokesperson of the DSS,Marylin Ogar could not easily be reached for comments on the death of Habeeb Bama as at press time, a senior officer in  the service confirmed the incident in confidence but declined further comments.

Meanwhile, THE family of slain Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Prince Aliu Raphael Olorunpomi, have disagreed over issues surrounding the assassination of the party chief.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Kogi State command, Mr. Ile Simon, had on Thursday  averred that the late Olorunpomi was kidnapped for allegedly defying the Oro Festival in Kabba and murdered because he recognized one of his abductors.

But the son of the murdered PDP chief, Segun, in a sharp reaction on Friday, described the police statement as a “hasty lie.”

Segun, who was a victim of the attack on his father’s Happy Hour Parks & Garden in Kabba, Kogi State, where the late Olorunpomi was abducted and later assassinated, said; “the entire incident had nothing to do with the Oro Festival .

“We are leaving all the leads open to the police in order for them to get to the roots of this dastardly murder. But we take exception to any hasty and un-investigated conclusions that will further inflict pains on the family.

“It is shocking that the Police, rather than conducting investigations, have resorted to naked  - lies, fabrications and diversionary tactics by accusing a man who was gruesomely murdered of defiling the Oro festival. This is a callous spit on my father’s grave.”

“My father did not defy any festival in Kabba or anywhere else. Is the Police also saying that the robbery that took place in another part of the town before my father was abducted on the same day was indefiance of the Oro festival?,” he asked.

He urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr. MD Abubakar, to order an investigation into the abduction and assassination of his late father whom he described as “our breadwinner.”

Meanwhile, Battle for the control of the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Kwara State chapter has turned bloody as over 10 members of the association were attacked and left in the pool of their own blood in a factional clash on Wednesday.

Speaking with Saturday Tribune on his hospital bed, one of the victims, Alhaji AbdulRasaq Ajala, said that the leadership tussle began early this year when the state Exco led by Alhaji Saliman Ayoku was dissolved and a caretaker committee was set up by the national body pending the time a new Exco would be put in place.

The caretaker committee, according to him, is headed by Chief Olurode Adefowope who is the Chairman of Lagos State chapter.

He said Adefowope wrote to the national body that Kwara State chapter was peaceful to conduct its election and thus put up an electoral committee that would usher in the new Exco.

He said there were two chairmanship aspirants, one from his camp, Alhaji Ambali Alao and Alhaij Safi Salau from another camp.

He said it was at the meeting called by Adefowope that crisis broke out, during which he was attacked alongside others.

He said he and others were attacked while they were about leaving the venue of the peace meeting, having completed the procedures as other factions came late to the gathering.

“We got there on Wednesday at 9a.m as scheduled. Our opponents did not show up until past 12noon. By then the caretaker committee and the electoral committee had started the procedure with some of us that were on ground.

“We were through, so we asked the committee if we can leave and they said we should go. I was in a vehicle with three of our members. We did not know that they were after us and some had laid an ambush for us.

“When we discovered that they were coming after us, we drove to one of our nearby garages for safety. On getting to the garage, some of them were there already destroying shops, beating and matcheting our members and collecting their handsets. One of them jumped on our car bonnet with a double barrel gun and asked the driver to stop,” he said.

“They pushed us out of the car. One person with a cutlass tried to hit my head with the cutlass but God helped me to block it with my hand (he showed his hand and back on his hospital bed). You can see, I started running and shouting for help. They stabbed my back twice and I fell down soaked in my own blood. They thought I was dead and they went for other victims,” he added.

In his reaction, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olufemi Fabode, said that the command is aware of the development, adding that those arrested had been charged to court.