At least 56 people have died and 69
others injured in the Maiduguri market suicide bombing that occurred in the
early hours of Tuesday, military officials, Borno State government officials
and the Civilian-JTF have said.
There were conflicting accounts,
however, on the brand of vehicle the suicide bomber used to carry out the
attack, as witnesses either claimed it was a Pickup van loaded with charcoal
while others insisted that it was a Peugeot wagon.
But most eyewitnesses said the
suicide bomber was spotted driving a rickety Peugeot wagon car moving from
Gwange area, a crowded central part of Maiduguri towards the market about 8am.
A member of the Civilian-JTF, who
identified himself as Musa, said: “Wallahi, if I had inkling that the man had
an evil intention I would have pulled him out of the car and dealt with him.
“I was on a tricycle moving towards
the market when I noticed the man trying to park by the roadside and the
early-rising traders who were displaying their grocery by the roadside kept
telling him to move ahead, that he was not supposed to park in front their
displayed wares. We all managed to overtake him while he was still busy trying
to get a parking space. His vehicle trunk was filled with sacks of what looked
like charcoal. It was when we were a little bit ahead of him that we heard the
deafening explosion and everywhere was dark with thick smoke.”
LEADERSHIP gathered that the
suicide bomber later parked in front of old Elkanemi Cinema, now converted to a
car park for inter-city bus taxis.
Most of those that fell victims to
the blast were old women who usually sold groundnuts and lemons as well as
commuters trying to make their way to their offices, schools or markets as well
as labourers waiting to offload goods from trucks that arrived at the market
overnight.
Borno State governor Kashim
Shettima had visited the scene of the blast where he was told by the general
manager of Monday Market, Maiduguri, Alhaji Babagana Bukar, that only 17 people
among them nine members of the Civilian-JTF died.
Governor Shettima, who also visited
hospitals to sympathize with victims, condemned the blast, describing it as
“the worst act of man’s inhumanity to man, which is not only bestial but
dastardly”.
“We will not be deterred by the
antics of Boko Haram; we will continue to provide services to our people,” he
said.
Though Governor Shettima had
announced that the members of the Civilian-JTF should be identified, verified
and compensated with the sum of N1million each, the leaders of the Civilian-JTF
led by the state secretary-general, Sadiq Abba Tijjani, said that no member of
their group was killed in the blast, but they had been able to pick over 56
bodies.
“We have been able to pick 21 dead
bodies that could still be identified; we also picked about 35 corpses that
were either burnt or mangled beyond recognition. We took 19 injured persons to
the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital; five others were rushed to the
State Specialists Hospital and 21 were conveyed to the Nursing Home, while nine
were taken to Umaru Shehu UItra-modern hospital,” said Abba.
All witnesses that gave their
accounts said most of the victims were women and children.
A man who was seen weeping at the
scene of the blast said he was on his way out with his two wives to visit a
patient in the hospital when the blast occurred.
“I came out with my two wives, but
after the blast, I could not locate my second wife and the first one is badly
injured in the arm as a result of the blast,” the confused man who did not
identify himself told Governor Shettima at the General Hospital, Maiduguri.
Another member of the Civilian-JTF
said the suicide bomber had engaged in an argument with some traders who said
he was parking his car wrongly in front of their stand and as such they
demanded that he move his car.
“The bomber later agreed to move
the car but begged some traders to help him push the car to start as the
battery was weak to kick-start the engine. It was in the process of pushing the
car that he let the bomb go off and he and those pushing the vehicle were
shredded by the blast,” said the witness.
The Sector-3 Commander of the
Civilian-JTF, Iliya Saidu, under whose area of jurisdiction the blast took off,
had told Governor Shettima at the council chamber of the Government House,
Maiduguri, after the governor had gone round to visit victims of the blast,
that they were able to carry 17 people out of which 15 were their members.
The entire scene of the blast was
cordoned off for about five hours until after the police anti-bomb squad were
able to sweep the entire area to ensure that it was safe before vehicles and
other commuters were allowed to move towards the area.
Explosives ‘hidden under charcoal’
Yesterday’s explosives were hidden
under a load of charcoal in a pickup van, according to witnesses who spoke on
condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, the Associate Press reports
Trader Daba Musa Yobe, who works
near the popular market, said the bomb went off just after the market opened at
08:00, before most traders or customers had arrived.
Other witnesses said they saw about
50 bodies, and that five cars and some tricycle taxis were set ablaze by the
explosion.
They said the toll could have been worse
but fewer than normal traders and customers were around because most people
stay up late to eat during Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting from sunrise to
sunset.
A security official at the scene
confirmed the blast, saying many casualties are feared. He spoke on condition
of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak to the press.
Explosions last week targeted the
biggest shopping mall in Abuja, Nigeria’s central capital, killing 24 people; a
medical college in northern Kano city, killing at least eight; and a hotel
brothel in northeast Bauchi city that killed 10.
Bomb blast Injures 2 In Kaduna
A bomb went off last night at about
7:30pm in Asikolaye area of Kaduna south local government area of the state and
close to the resident of the famous Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi with
two persons sustaining minor injuries while two vehicles had their windscreen
shattered.
Confirming the incident, Kaduna
State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP Aminu Lawan said, “It is true
that there is a minor bomb blast in Asikolaye area off Nnamdi Azikiwe by-pass
at about 7:30pm, as I speak to you now, I am at the scene of the blast.
“The blast occurred near a gutter
and only two persons who were passing sustained minor injuries, they have been
treated and discharged, no live was lost and no property was damaged.”
According to Lawan, “our men upon
the distress call went there immediately and the area was brought under control
with people going about their normal activities.”
Lawan also said that men of the
Anti-bomb squad were on ground to ascertain the calibre of the bomb and what
caused it, adding that investigation has already commenced to unravel what was
the cause.
He, however called on the citizens
to be more security concious and promptly report any suspected person, group or
unknown object to the police for necessary and prompt action.
One of the residents of the area
also said, “It’s not up to an hour that I walked pass the place and I was close
to my house when I heard a loud sound. As usual I thought it was the NEPA
transformer in our area that sparked only to hear that it was a bomb blast”.
Boko Haram’s attacks horrific – UN
The United Nations yesterday
described the ongoing attacks by members of the Boko Haram sect on innocent
Nigerian citizens in the northern parts of the country as horrific.
Making this known in his capacity
as the United Nations secretary-general, Mr Ban Ki-moon said that the world
body would not relent until those behind the insurgences in Nigeria were
captured, tried and sentenced.
Ki-moon also regretted that such
violence had become an almost daily occurrence, just as he reiterated the
readiness of the United Nations to support Nigeria with every resource required
to tackle terrorism in the country.
In the condemnation which he made
through a statement obtained by journalists in New York, the United Nations
chief added that the attacks which the terrorists carried out over the weekend
on villages and churches near Chibok were unacceptable to the international
community.
“The secretary-general reiterates
the readiness of the United Nations to support Nigeria as it responds to this
challenge in a manner consistent with its international human rights
obligations. He also conveys his solidarity and sympathy to the victims of the
violence and to the people of Nigeria,” reads the statement.
Terrorism: Customs to begin joint
border patrol – Abdullahi Bakko
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)
has said that the modalities to begin a joint cross-border patrol with
neighbouring African customs administrations are being worked out as part of
efforts to win the war against terrorism.
Comptroller-general of the Service,
Abdullahi Dikko, stated this yesterday in Abuja while briefing journalists on
updates of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in March by Nigeria,
Cameroon, Niger, Benin Republic and Chad.
He stated that the offshoot of what
the director-general of Customs did was further replicated at a higher level
when President Goodluck Jonathan led West African neighbours to Paris where a
security meeting was held.
“While the leaders at the top have
accepted that terrorism is quashed, we are working hard to see that whatever we
can do within our mandate as Customs, we do it,” Dikko said.
“The other Customs administrations
that we agreed with are making consultations with their home government to work
out the modalities of how we are going to operate. Nigeria Customs has already
acquired vehicles for that purpose for when we are ready to begin,” he added.
Dikko whose tenure as the vice
chair of the World Customs Organisation for West and Central African (WCO-WCA)
region ended last week at a handing-over ceremony in Brussels said his tenure
brought tremendous benefits to Nigeria.
Dikko handed over to Cameroon after
serving two terms of two years each. He listed some of the achievements to
include increased visibility of Nigeria in the WCO’s activities and technical
expertise into the establishment of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff
College, Gwagwalada, now designated as a WCO regional training centre.
“From our interactions with WCO
members in our region and other parts of the world, we have been exposed to
global best practices in Customs administration and we are bringing this
experience to bear on the management of Customs in Nigeria,” he added.
The Customs boss also listed the
hosting right for the WCO Policy Commission held in 2011 and the special
invitation of President Jonathan to the 50th anniversary celebration of the WCO
in 2012 as important highlights of his tenure as WCO vice chair for the region.
Gowon on insecurity: Not worrying
about Nigeria’s security is irresponsible
Former military head of state
General Yakubu Gowon yesterday said that anyone who is not worried about the
security of this country is irresponsible.
Gowon who spoke with reporters in
Kaduna said as a Nigerian he was concerned about the security situation and
hoped that everybody should be worried about the situation.
“I can assure you that this
government is very responsible, trying its best to deal with security problems
in the country.
“Who caused the security problem?
it is caused by all Nigerians and the outsiders who are invited to cause the
havoc that we have in the country.
“So let us all put our heads
together and see what we can do in checking this menace,” he said.
Speaking on the atrocities of the
dreaded Boko Haram, the former head of state said the Boko Haram is giving
Islam a bad name.
“I was in Kano about two days ago
and I made a comment on these people who are doing this thing in the name of
Islam. It is very sad, giving Islam a very bad name.
“Islam that I know in the country,
those that I have worked with, and throughout my life – certainly, Islam is not
about murderous people. This group that is doing this is probably not Nigerian
Islam but imported, distractive Islam.
“So let us all put our heads
together and deal with this particular problem,” he said.
Stop Boko Haram massacres now,
northern CAN tells FG
Northern Christian elders under the
auspices of Christian Elders Forum of Northern States (NOSCEF), which is also
affiliated to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), have called on the
federal government to immediately end the massacres being carried out by Boko
Haram in Nigeria.
The chairman of NOSCEF, Olaiya
Phillips, who made this call yesterday during the Forum’s national conference
in Abuja, which was tagged “Voices Against Violence”, said that the northern
elders are also demanding that the federal government and the army start
putting effective pressure on Boko Haram to stop killing innocent Nigerians.
According to Phillips, the army
should stop being timid and harness military intelligence and police support in
order to end the deadly insurgence. With the situation so dire, northern
communities need all the help they can get to end the persecution that they are
presently going through, he said.
ICRC helps 50,000 displaced persons
in north-east
Meanwhile, as armed conflict and
violence intensify in some parts of the northeast, the International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Nigerian Red Cross Society have said that the
group has brought aid to almost 50,000 displaced and vulnerable people in the
first five months of the year.
Head of the International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Nigeria, Zoran Jovanovic, said the
conflict in north-eastern Nigeria has flared up in recent months, while other
areas have seen growing tensions and armed violence.
“The number of people killed,
wounded or displaced is on the rise, with children being targeted in attacks or
abductions, more and more displaced people are seeking refuge in neighbouring
villages, states and countries, often taken in by host communities,” said
Jovanovic.
Bomb scare hits Osun
Fear of bomb explosives rocked the
ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, yesterday when information filtered round
that explosion had rocked a certain part of the town.
The development, which reportedly
generated tension among residents and inhabitants of the town, threw them into
a state of confusion as they ran for safety in different locations.
Investigations however revealed
that an explosive device exploded at about 4:30am around the Agbedegbede area
of the town.
Informed sources stated that “the
bomb exploded in the area with a loud bang and also affected a house in the
area, damaging the roof in the process”.
At the spot of the incident, the
bomb squad unit of the state police command was seen on ground performing their
lawful duty while the state police commissioner, Mr Ibrahim Maisanu, who was on
assessment visit was also seen physically at the scene of the incident.
However, more explosives were said
to have been detected by the anti-bomb unit of the Osun State police command,
as members of the unit combed the area.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after
the assessment visit, the state commissioner said that it was not a bomb as
being carried about by the members of the public but that it was an explosion
from dynamite.
He said that there was no casualty
as a result of the explosion and charged the people of the state to be
security-conscious at all times.
The police boss further maintained
that his command would do its best to protect the lives and properties of the
people of Osun.
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