The October 2010 Abuja bombings, also referred to as the 2010 Nigeria Independence Day bombings, were two car bombings carried out against crowds celebrating the fiftieth anniversary ( golden jubilee) of

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

in the capital city Abuja on the morning of 1 October 2010. The attacks left 12 dead and 17 injured. According to multiple sources, the

Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is a decentralised militant group in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. MEND's actionsincluding sabotage, theft, property destruction, guerrilla warfare, and kidnappingare part of the br ...

(MEND) issued a warning less than an hour before the first bomb stating the location, near Eagle Square (the venue of the celebration), and the time, around 10:30 a.m., of planned

bombings A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechanica ...

. The first blast occurred around 10:30 a.m.,

emergency services Emergency services and rescue services are organizations that ensure public safety and health by addressing and resolving different emergencies. Some of these agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies, while others deal w ...

arrived at the scene and then the second blast occurred.

Reactions and investigation

A former leader of MEND, Henry Okah, was arrested in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

following the twin car bombings. Okah denied accusations of planning the bombings and was disowned by MEND. Police in Nigeria also detained

Raymond Dokpesi Chief Raymond Anthony Aleogho Dokpesi (born 25 October 1951) in Ibadan is a Nigerian media entrepreneur. His parents are from Agenebode, Edo state in a family including six sisters siblings. He entered the Nigerian mass media industry with hi ...

, campaign manager for former

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Ibrahim Babangida Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (born 17 August, 1941) is a retired Nigerian Army general and politician. He served as military president of Nigeria from 1985 until his resignation in 1993. He rose through the ranks to serve from 1984 to 1985 as C ...

, for questioning over the bombing. Dokpesi was later released and said his arrest was

political Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...

in nature. Nigerian newspaper ''

This Day ''This Day'' is a Nigerian national newspaper. It is the flagship newspaper of Leaders & Company Ltd and was first published on 22 January 1995. It has its headquarters in Apapa, Lagos State. Founded by Nduka Obaigbena, the Chairman & Editor-i ...

'' reported that

British intelligence The Government of the United Kingdom maintains intelligence agencies within three government departments, the Foreign Office, the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence. These agencies are responsible for collecting and analysing foreign and d ...

was warned of a plot against the 50th anniversary celebrations, and this was the reason that former

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

Gordon Brown James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Tony B ...

and

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, (Richard Alexander Walter George; born 26 August 1944) is a member of the British royal family. He is the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, as wel ...

cancelled their trips to Nigeria for the celebration.Nigeria: British Intelligence Warned of Attacks
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2010 10 Abuja bombings 2010 murders in Nigeria October 2010 bombings 21st-century mass murder in Nigeria Car and truck bombings in Nigeria Improvised explosive device bombings in 2010 Improvised explosive device bombings in Nigeria Mass murder in 2010 October 2010 bombings October 2010 crimes October 2010 events in Africa October 2010 bombings Terrorist incidents in Nigeria in 2010