Nigeria's President condemns bombing of newspaper offices

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan Thursday condemned the bomb blasts which rocked the offices of the private Thisday newspaper in the capital city of Abuja and the northern city of Kaduna.

Presidential spokesman Reuben Abati said in a statement that the President received the sad news in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, where he is attending an extra-ordinary summit of ECOWAS.

The President described the attack as “ignoble, misguided, horrendous and wicked.”

"President Jonathan reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government to continue to uphold the constitutional right to freedom of expression in general and of press freedom in particular, pledging that criminal elements bent on instilling fear in the minds of Nigerians and foreigners will not succeed.

"The President urged media practitioners not to be dissuaded from carrying out their fearless campaign for peace, justice and equity as democracy cannot flourish without press freedom,'' Abati said.

He said the President commiserates with the bereaved families and other innocent victims of the explosions, and ''further assured all Nigerians that the Administration remains undeterred in its resolve to ensure the safety of lives and property at all times."

An unspecified number of people died in the attacks, which seem to have been coordinated.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
-0- PANA SEG 26April2012