The Plateau State Police Command has dispelled reports of a bomb scare that caused panic among residents in Jos on Tuesday.
Initial eyewitness accounts suggested that the police’s explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team responded swiftly to a distress call, allegedly preventing the detonation of explosive devices that could have caused significant damage and casualties in a crowded market. According to one witness, officers successfully detonated one device that was reportedly about to explode, while two other devices were safely evacuated by the EOD team.
However, in an official statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Alfred Alabo, the police clarified that the bomb scare was a false alarm.
The statement noted that officers received a report about a shallow hole suspected to contain an improvised explosive device (IED) along Murtala Mohammed Way near the old JUTH fence, which triggered concerns among locals.
“Upon receiving this report, the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adesina, immediately directed the Metro Area Commander and the head of the Command’s EOD unit to deploy bomb technicians to the scene in collaboration with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of ‘C’ Division,” the statement read. “The area was promptly cordoned off, and our EOD team conducted a thorough examination. The investigation confirmed that the site was free of any explosive devices.”
The Commissioner of Police, along with senior members of his team, also visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment to reassure the public of their safety.