Blast rocks newspaper office in central region

At least five people were seriously injured when explosions rocked the offices of a newspaper in Nigeria’s central region city of Ilorin on Friday. Journalists of the National Pilot were busy working on the paper’s weekend edition when explosions shook the building in a suspected bomb attack, forcing the roof of the building to cave in. Five people, including a woman and four men were seriously injured. Police spokesman, Chris Olakpe, who confirmed the incident, said bomb experts had started investigations to determine the cause of the blasts. He also denied earlier media reports that five people had been killed in the incident. But Yomi Olabanji, editor-in-chief of the newspaper told reporters he suspected explosives had been flung on the roof of the building by some assailants. "I was in my office at about 2.25 pm working when I heard a deafening explosion," he said. "The thing just came from the roof top. Somebody could have flung them there and run away." There is widespread belief among the newspaper’s journalists that its role in opposition against the Kwara State government may have made it the target of violent attacks by those hurt by its criticisms. The National Pilot is owned by Olusola Saraki, a former presidential aspirant in the All Nigeria People’s Party, who leads a faction of the ruling party in the state opposed to governor Mohammed Lawal. Kwara has witnessed some of the worst political violence growing in Nigeria ahead of next year’s elections. In August Ahmad Pategi the state chairman of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s ruling People Democratic Party was assassinated by unknown gunmen.