Lagos — Nigerians were shocked recently on hearing that there was an explosion of a substance suspected to be a bomb at a private television station, Superscreen Tele-vision, in Lagos. The shock is understandable. Some 23 years ago, a parcel bomb sent to the then Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch Magazine, Mr Dele Giwa, blew him apart. That was the first instance of such gruesome murder in Nigeria.

In the case on hand, a 27-year old man, Olayiwola Ahmed, was said to have carried some "gift" items wrapped in Christmas wrapping papers and was heading to the Superscreen Television offices, located at the ninth and last floor of Logemo House, in the Onipanu area of the city. The deadly gift exploded in the hands of the bearer, shortly before it could be delivered.

Ahmed lost his two arms immediately. Two such other explosive substances were found on him. A further search on the suspect's house led the police to recover more dangerous explosive items. But the police detonated them.

Happening at the Yuletide season when gifts are freely exchanged, hardly would the intended recipient have suspected that the gift pack is a ticket to the morgue, what with the beautiful Christmas wrapping paper camouflaging the lethal content therein.

The Police have described the explosive as Improvised Explosive Device, although some think it is a bomb. But whatever it is, it is clear it was meant for ill. The fact that beside the device that exploded, other such dangerous substances were found on the suspect and even in his home bespeaks of the deadly intent. That the blast immediately cut off the arms of the suspect further confirms the deadliness of the mission.

Although investigation is ongoing, it is amazing what the motivation of the suspect or his sponsor(s) are. It bears the crude signature malaise of terrorism. But more than that, it once again brings to the fore the belief that the journalist in Nigeria is fast becoming an endangered specie. With many journalists mowed down on the streets, shot in their homes, or made targets of bombs even in their offices, the vulnerability of an average journalist is clearly manifest.

The suspect is said to be receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of LUTH. It is consoling that he did not die as a result of the blast. We call on the police to conduct a thorough investigation with a view to establishing not only the motivation of the planned attack, but also ascertaining the other targets of the other substances found in his home.

Given that no life was lost outrightly, the police should suffer no distraction in getting to the root of this crime. This case should be a clear departure from the norm of the past, where both the inclination to investigate and the dust raised by such incidents die together.

Nigerians will love to know the whole truth about this blast. The take off point will be the publishing of the photograph of the culprit. He should also be made available to journalists who can possibly ask more telling questions. The pall of secrecy around the suspect must be removed immediately.

Indeed, it is even more worrisome knowing that twenty-three years after Dele Giwa was parcel-bombed, the Police are yet to find his killers. And three years after Godwin Agbroko, former Editorial Board Chairman of THISDAY was shot dead on Lagos street, his killers are still at large. There are many such cases.

But this must be different, especially in the face of increasing global concern on terrorism and violent crimes. We believe the Police will do a thorough job on this.