Twin car bombings claimed by Nigeria’s most prominent militant group Mend killed at least 10 people yesterday near ceremonies for 50 years of independence in the first such attack in the capital.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan called the blasts a “wicked act of desperation by criminals and murderers,” while UN chief Ban Ki-moon and Britain’s government also condemned the attacks.

The explosions rocked the area near Abuja’s Eagle Square, but failed to halt the anniversary celebrations attended by the country’s leaders and foreign delegations.

“There were two car bomb explosions,” police spokesman Moshood Jimoh said. “Eight people who were bystanders were confirmed dead and three people seriously injured.”

A hospital official later said two of the 22 victims brought in died while being treated. A third person was brought in dead and it was unclear whether that victim was included in the earlier police toll.

A senior police officer and a top intelligence officer were among the dead, colleagues from their respective services said, and it appeared the strategy behind the attacks may have been to lure in as many potential victims as possible.

“There were more casualties at the second explosion because the first explosion drew crowds to the scene,” an intelligence officer said.

Firefighters, police and bomb disposal experts rushed to the scene about 10 minutes’ walk from the square, where a line of cars was destroyed and glass and blood could be seen on the ground.

The area, near the justice ministry and a federal court building, was filled with smoke.

“Some guys caught fire – their clothes caught fire,” one witness said.

“They were running, pulling (them) off. The first car went, then while people were shouting, trying to rescue the other people in the vehicles, the other one went off.”

A road safety officer being treated for injuries to his torso following the blasts said from his hospital bed that he believed several police officers were killed.

“I know almost five policemen behind me were dead in that blast because they were close to the car that was affected,” he said.

The car bombs followed attack threats issued an hour earlier from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) militant group, and the rebels later claimed responsibility in a statement.

Mend has staged scores of attacks in the oil-rich Niger Delta in recent years, claiming to be fighting for a fairer distribution of oil revenue, but it was the first time they had struck in the capital.