LAGOS, Nigeria, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- British dignitaries expected to participate in a parade marking Nigeria's 50th anniversary pulled out ahead of explosions that killed 12 people, officials said.
The pullout of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the duke of Gloucester raised questions about how much information Nigerian authorities possessed ahead of the parade, the BBC reported.
The second blast happened as emergency workers were responding to Friday's first explosion. The militant group Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The group warned Nigerian officials it had planted explosive devices shortly before they were detonated; MEND accused officials of acting "irresponsibly by ignoring our forewarning" by allowing the celebration to continue.
The MEND warning said "several explosive devices have been successfully planted in and around the venue by our operatives working inside the government security services."
A U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office representative confirmed it had received a report of a "heightened security risk" and took immediate action to update travel warnings.
"Security for VIP visitors is always kept under rigorous review," the representative said. "We remain in constant contact with the Nigerian authorities on this."
The militant group said there is no good reason to celebrate Nigeria's anniversary.
"There is nothing worth celebrating after 50 years of failure. For 50 years, the people of the Niger Delta have had their land and resources stolen from them," it said in a statement.
MEND violence has declined since the Nigerian government signed an amnesty agreement last year promising money and job training to those who abandoned the party, the report said.
