The event had just started with a welcome address by the chairman of the occasion, a former Chief of Defense Staff, General Andrew Owei Azazi (rtd) and the Chairman/Publisher of Vanguard Media Limited, Mr. Sam Amuka was explaining the reason for the Vanguard initiative when the first bomb was detonated.
The second bomb, reportedly planted inside a car across the road on Effurun-Nigeria Ports Authority Expressway near the Government House, Warri exploded 30 minutes later, forcing the stakeholders to leave the hall.
MEND claimed responsibility for the explosions and in fact sent out electronic mail statements before they were detonated.
However, South-South leader and former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark, first civilian Governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, presidential candidate of the Africa Democratic Congress in the 2007 elections, Prof Pat Utomi, Second Republic Senator, Francis Okpozo, former Senate Chief Whip, Senator Roland Owie, member of the Niger-Delta Technical Committee, Mr. Tony Uranta, Niger-Delta activist, Ann-Kio Briggs, Barrister Mike Igini, Mike Emakpore, members of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Efe Afe, Talib Tebite and Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Hon Raymos Guanah spoke on the blasts.
Source: Allafrica