ABUJA: Eight people were killed and three injured in car bomb explosions that hit Nigeria's capital Friday near a parade marking the 50th anniversary of independence, police said. Two explosions, which also destroyed three cars, came an hour after the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Nigeria's biggest rebel militia, issued an email warning saying it had planted several bombs and telling people to evacuate the area.Security forces and firemen in the capital, Abuja, had been trying to douse a fire in a car after the first explosion when a second blast hit. “Two car bombs exploded and eight people are confirmed dead,” Abuja police spokesman Jimoh Moshood told Reuters. The lavish celebrations of military bands, troupes of dancing children and air force displays continued as planned. Given its warning, the finger of blame will rest heavily on MEND, which has been fighting for years for a greater share of oil revenues from the impoverished Niger Delta, home to Africa's biggest oil and gas industry. Although most of its activities have been focused on the creeks and swamps of the delta, MEND has struck further afield, including at off-shore oil installations and in the heart of Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos. “Several explosive devices have been successfully planted in and around the venue by our operatives working inside the government security services,” said the warning email, signed by MEND spokesman Jomo Gbomo. “In evacuating the area, keep a safe distance from vehicles and trash bins.” Broadcast television footage showed no interruption to the 50th birthday celebrations. Shortly after the warning, President Goodluck Jonathan, who faces an election early next year, arrived in an armored limousine dressed in his traditional black fedora hat and dark suit.
