Authorities of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory ordered the popular Wuse Market, Utako and Garki Modern Markets shut today following a bomb scare.
The roads leading to the two markets were blocked by Policemen who were also conducting searches on a long queue of persons waiting to gain access into the area.
Confused traders who were disallowed from going inside the market were seen milling around the premises.
Authorities took the security measure, following an alarm by a person who saw an object suspected to be improvised explosives device. The discovery of the suspicious object reportedly forced shop owners to close while shoppers took to their heels.
One of the police officers said the Wuse market was locked after an ‘order from above’ due to bomb threat.
Boko Haram extremist group had bombed a bus station in the highly populated Nyanya suburb area of FCT twice in April this year. The bomb attacks claimed over 150 lives.
Altine Daniel, the spokesperson for the FCT Command of Nigeria Police confirmed that the temporary closure of the three markets was as a result of intelligence reports available to the security agencies.
She however said the markets would be reopened as soon as men of the police anti-bomb squad are satisfied that there was no explosive device hidden in any of them.