Fast on deadly bomb attack on Nigerian Independence day bomb attack

Reuters was almost 30 minutes ahead of other international news providers when car bombs exploded close to Nigeria’s Independence day celebrations on Oct 1. Reuters quickly cut through the confusion to nail the cause of the blasts, which occurred an hour after militants issued a bomb warning. The attack immediately raised the question – was Nigeria headed for another onslaught by militants demanding more access to oil wealth? Reuters reporters on the ground swiftly explained that while the bombings did not point to an immediate return to all out war in the oil producing Niger delta, they did highlight the long term risks of unresolved conflict and would not help President Goodluck Jonathan in his bid to win his party’s ticket and assure victory in next year’s presidential election.