Jonathan Escapes Bomb Blast In Gombe

A blast ripped through a car park outside a stadium where Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan had addressed a re-election campaign rally on Monday, minutes after he left, witnesses said.

Mohammed Bolari, who was at the rally, in the northeastern city of Gombe, said the explosion happened at 3:10 pm (1410 GMT) some three minutes after Jonathan’s departure.

A local reporter, who asked not to be identified, said: “The president had just passed the parking lot and we were trailing behind his convoy when the explosion happened… just 100 metres from the bus we were driving in.”

Jonathan had been speaking to supporters of his ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as part of his bid for re-election at polls in two weeks’ time.

His appearance in the city came just a day after two blasts in the city, including one that targeted a military checkpoint. At least five people were killed.