Abuja Blast: NEMA Retracts Statement, Blames Hacked Account After Wike’s Claims

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has retracted its earlier claim that Monday’s explosion in Abuja was caused by a suicide bomber. The incident, which injured one person, took place at a bus stop opposite the Mogadishu cantonment along the Mararaba-Nyanya expressway.

On Tuesday, NEMA posted on its official X account that the explosion was the result of a suicide bomber carrying an improvised explosive device (IED) attempting to enter the military barracks. However, this assertion was contradicted on Wednesday by Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

During an inspection of road projects, Wike told journalists that security agencies never confirmed the presence of a suicide bomber. He urged the public not to spread fear or misinformation. Wike explained that the explosion was caused by an individual who accidentally detonated explosives he had taken from nearby quarry operations, and emphasized that this should not be mistaken for a suicide attack.

Following Wike’s clarification, NEMA issued a statement distancing itself from the initial report. The agency revealed that its social media account had been compromised, which led to the unverified post. NEMA stressed that its role is to coordinate emergency responses while investigation and cause determination remain the responsibility of security agencies.

The agency also referenced its official press statement, which did not attribute the cause of the explosion to any specific act and only detailed NEMA’s coordinated response at the scene. The situation remains under investigation as authorities continue to gather facts.