A suspected Improvised Explosive Device detonated in the early hours of Wednesday at the Bayelsa State Secretariat Complex in Yenagoa, triggering an immediate security lockdown and the swift arrest of a 60-year-old man found at the scene. The explosion, which occurred around 6:00 am, caused no casualties or structural damage but prompted a four-hour work suspension affecting over 6,000 state employees as authorities conducted a thorough sweep of the premises.
The Bayelsa State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued by the Commissioner of Police, CP Iyamah, who said he personally led the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, the Special Drone Unit, and other tactical teams to the location. “On arrival at the scene, the operatives of the Explosive Ordnance Unit swiftly contained the explosion,” Iyamah stated. “The area was immediately cordoned off and upon detailed search, one unexploded IED was identified by EOD operatives and was rendered safe.”
The commissioner further disclosed that one suspect, identified as Pentecost Elijah, a 60-year-old man from Otuan Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, was apprehended at the scene. “He is currently undergoing interrogation at the State Criminal Investigation Department and upon conclusion, the suspect will be charged in court,” Iyamah said. He assured residents that “the situation is under control and normalcy has been restored,” urging members of the public to “remain calm and continue with their lawful business activities.”
Following the explosion, the Bayelsa State Government ordered a temporary closure of the secretariat for four hours as a precautionary measure. The directive was issued by the Head of Service, Dr. Wisdom Ebiye Sawyer. Security operatives, including the anti-bomb squad, cordoned off access roads leading to both the State Secretariat and the Government House while investigations and safety protocols were executed. Authorities later confirmed the situation had been fully contained.
The Bayelsa incident adds to a scattered but persistent record of IED-related occurrences outside Nigeria’s traditional conflict zones. While the northeast remains the epicentre of insurgent IED deployments, isolated incidents in the South-South and North-Central regions have periodically raised concerns about the diffusion of explosive materials and knowledge.
In 2024, a bomb explosion in the Bassa community of Shiroro Local Government Area, Niger State, killed one child and injured four others. According to security reports at the time, the children had discovered the device on the ground and were handling it when it detonated, killing one instantly. That incident underscored the lingering danger of unexploded ordnance in communities far removed from active combat zones.
The Bayelsa explosion also comes amid broader regional security repositioning. The Ogun State Amotekun Corps recently unveiled a CCTV control room to enhance crime fighting, signalling the continued expansion of state-level security infrastructure across the southwest. Meanwhile, political attention in Bayelsa remains focused on mounting pressure on the state governor over the choice of a deputy, reflecting the intersection of governance stability and security preparedness in the oil-rich state.
The arrest of a single suspect in connection with the secretariat explosion has raised questions about motive, possible networks, and the origin of the IED materials. Police authorities have not disclosed whether Elijah has any prior record or known affiliations, nor have they indicated whether the device was targeted at specific individuals or intended to cause mass disruption. Investigators at the State Criminal Investigation Department are expected to pursue these lines of inquiry.
The Bayelsa State Secretariat, which houses key ministries and government departments, resumed normal operations later Wednesday after security agencies declared the premises safe. The incident, though contained without loss of life, marks the first known IED detonation at a state government facility in the South-South in recent years and may prompt a reassessment of security protocols at public buildings across the region.
