Nigerian Police Headquarters Attacked By Suicide Bomber

A powerful blast struck the police headquarters building in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, killing dozens, and according to local officials.

The explosion of believed to have taken place in a parking lot of the headquarters complex.

A local resident told BBC that he heard two loud explosions and saw more than 30 dead bodies and about 40 destroyed vehicles.

Red Cross workers are evacuating bodies from the site, according to Reuters; and a suspected suicide bomber reportedly also died in the attack.

We are evacuating the dead bodies, it is too early for us to judge how many. Our priority is to treat the living casualties right now, a Red Cross official told Reuters.

The police force headquarters has been bombed, everywhere is bombed, deputy police spokesman Yemi Ajayi told Agence France Presse (AFP)

Another official told Bloomberg: “There were body parts all over the place. We suspect it was a suicide bomber who was apparently targeting the inspector general.”

While no one group has claimed responsibility for the attack, an Islamic group called Boko Haram has recently has waged a campaign of violence against government and police officials.

Boko Haram, which seeks to overthrow the state and impose strict Islamic Shariah law in Nigeria, have primarily focused their attacks in the northern city of Maiduguri (Abuja is in the country’s center), where they have killed scores of people.

The group has taken responsibility for a number of bombings that occurred right after the inauguration of re-elected president Goodluck Jonathan last month. Nigerian police have vowed to stamp out Boko Haram by deploying more trips to the north.