Last month, they abducted over 200 schoolgirls in
Borno State; on Thursday, they attacked two schools in
Bauchi State; on Sunday, they bombed Kano city.
Today (Tuesday), it is the turn of Jos again. God where
are we heading for in Nigeria?”
These were the words of a trader in the ever-busy Jos
Terminus Market where twin bomb blasts occurred on
Tuesday.
The trader, who gave his name simply as James, said he
was lucky to have survived with minor injuries but
vowed to relocate his family from Jos where he had
lived for two decades.
James was indeed lucky as eyewitnesses said that over
150 people lost their lives to the blasts.
The Cable News Network however reported a third
explosion in Abuja Market in Jos where shoes are sold.
It however did not give details.
Although eyewitnesses account put the death toll at
150, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris
Olakpe, said that 46 people were killed while 45 others
were wounded.
The first bomb, which was said to have been detonated
by a suicide bomber
in a Fiat car, happened at about
3pm when the market was at its height. The second
blast occurred from a Toyota Sienna about 20 metres
from the scene of the first.
One of the eyewitnesses said the bomber in the Fiat car
stopped it abruptly along the busy Muritala
Mohammed Way which is very close to the old site of
the Jos University Teaching Hospital.
He was said to have left the car for minutes to cause
enough traffic build-up before he returned and
detonated the explosives in it. The explosion was heard
all over Jos and Bukuru metropolis.
However as people gathered to assist victims, some
hoodlums started looting and burning cars. In the
course of their action, some youths noticed the Toyota
Sienna parked at some distance and went for it.
While trying to vandalise it, one of them put a light
under the Sienna and immediately it exploded, killing
nearly all those in the vicinity.
There was pandemonium all over the market as traders
scrambled to close shops. Cars that tried to make a
quick U-turn were trapped and many were burnt.
One of the eyewitnesses, who simply identified himself
as Suleiman, told our correspondent in Jos that he was
one of the few people that arrived at the scene and
started helping the victims.
Suleiman whose clothes were blood-stained said that
for more than 20 minutes after the blasts, there was no
security presence.
He claimed that the policemen attached to a police post
inside the market took to their heels when the first
bomb went off.
“I was in the place when the first explosion happened. I
ran to the place and there was no security around to
assist. Immediately, I and two other people started to
help those injured.
The fire from the blast could not allow us to go near
and help more people. It was terrible; I have never seen
such a thing.”
Another eyewitness, Peter Amine, said, “We were inside
the market when I heard a loud explosion at about
3.28pm. Before I knew what happened, a piece of metal
landed very close to my legs.
He added that a thick dark smoke engulfed the scene,
thus compounding the already chaotic situation as fear-
stricken people, some covered with blood, screamed
and ran for safety
A NewYork, United States -Based Nigerian news portal,
Sahara Reporters, said the bombs, were primed to
inflict maximum casualties.
Olakpe, however, told journalists that the casualty
figure he gave was not definite as there were
possibilities of it increasing.
He said that the figure was obtained from the Plateau
Specialist Hospital, and the Bingham University
Teaching Hospital where most of the victims were
taken to.
The police commissioner said, “At about 3 pm, I was in
my office when I heard a loud explosion around the
Terminus area. I immediately mobilised and moved to
the area and just about 20 minutes later, the second
explosion went off.
Olakpe said that one of the lessons to be learnt from the
incident was that people should not rush to the site of a
bomb blast as there was the likelihood of another .
He added that the police had commenced what he
called a “post-blast investigation” and appealed to the
traders in the market to stay away for a while so as not
to jeopardise the probe.[The Punch]
CHAI...CHAI...THERE IS GOD OOO
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