UPDATED: 21 killed in blast at Abuja mall

Police have confirmed 21 dead and 17 injured in the blast that hit the popular Emab Plaza, Wuse II, Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.

At first count, 15 deaths were reported, but police spokesman Frank Mba has now confirmed the figure is higher.

“After a preliminary investigation, we can confirm that 21 people were killed and 17 injured,” Mba said, revealing also that a suspect has been arrested.

Shattered and charred bodies were littered all over the road, making it impossible to immediately pinpoint the exact number of the dead, and charging the air with the smell of human flesh.

At least 20 cars were burnt in the attack.

The blast occurred a few minutes before 4pm, when a bomb wired to a car and parked along the very busy plaza was reportedly detonated.

Banex Emab is a major shopping mall where residents of the federal capital territory purchase electronic and digital gadgets.

“That plaza is the computer village of Lagos,” an Abuja resident told TheCable. “It is always crowded, so it’s not funny to imagine the number of people who would have been killed or injured.”

This is the first bomb attack in the centre of Abuja since the April 2012 bombing of THISDAY offices in Jabi.

Two blasts have occurred in Nyanya, near Abuja, this year, killing over 100 persons.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, a bomb exploded at Kasuwan Kuturu Market in the Mubi area of Adamawa State.

John Abakasanga, the state commissioner of police confirmed the incident, saying that there was no casualty in the attack, which was targeted at a police patrol team.

No arrest was made but the affected area was cordoned off for proper investigation. A resident of Mubi told NAN that the device went off along Ahmadu Bello Way.

A similar attack at the Kabang area of the town three weeks ago resulted in the death of 16 people.