Tension gripped traders and customers at the Bata phone market in Kano State following a bomb threat from unknown individuals who claimed to have planted explosives in the market.
READ ALSO: Midnight fire destroys shops in Kano market
The market chairman, Alhaji Mahrazu Usman Lawan, said the threats began on Sunday evening through text messages demanding a N10 million ransom. The messages claimed that bombs had been placed in seven shops and would be detonated if the money was not paid, Arewa Update reports.
Upon receiving the threat, Alhaji Mahrazu alerted security agencies, who immediately deployed personnel to investigate and increase surveillance around the market.
The suspects later escalated their threats through phone calls, insisting on the ransom and warning of imminent danger. Security operatives conducted a comprehensive sweep of the market, but no explosives were found.
Despite the scare, the market resumed operations on Monday, though it closed earlier than usual by 5 p.m. However, the threats persisted into the day, with the culprits warning that people should “wait until night” to witness what would happen.
