GOMBE—NO fewer than 20 people lost their lives with 25
others sustaining various degrees of injuries in yesterday’s
bomb blast at Dukku motor park in Gombe.
In like manner, 10 people were killed yesterday evening in
a blast that occurred at the ever-busy Central Market in
Bauchi with scores sustaining serious injuries.
Eyewitnesses said a female suicide bomber carried out the
act as a fully loaded bus was about to depart. The bomb
was planted near the bus, filled with passengers, said Mato
Yakubu of the National Orientation Agency.
We evacuated 20 dead bodies –Red Cross
Malam Abubakar Yakubu, Secretary of the Nigeria Red
Cross Society, Gombe State branch, told the News Agency
of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe that members of the society
evacuated 20 identified dead bodies and deposited at the
Gombe Specialist Hospital mortuary.
He said the 18 that sustained injuries were admitted at the
specialist hospital and at the Musaba Clinic.
Abubakar Yakubu said his staff sent 20 body bags to the
scene and “they have all been exhausted. We are still
looking for more bodies in the carnage,” he told AFP.
BOMBING—Scene of the bomb blast at Dukku Motor Park
in Gombe where 20 people died and 25 sustained various
degrees of injuries, yesterday. Photo: NAN.
How a lady detonated the bomb –Witnesses
Malam Ibrahim Mamuda, an eye witness and driver at the
park, said the bomb exploded around 11 a.m. According
to him, the bomb exploded in a Volkswagen Sharon car
and before they realized what was happening, two cars
were also burnt.
His words: “We started seeing human parts and blood
everywhere, as you can see, there is blood everywhere.”
Malam Ibrahim Labibi, a commercial bus driver at the park,
said he saw a young woman who came along with a boy
and dropped her bag in the Volkswagen Sharon car.
“It was after she dropped the bag that the car exploded
and I myself counted about 21 dead bodies,” Labibi said.
Female bomber disguised as a passenger –Witness
Another eye witness told journalists that the female bomber
who disguised as a passenger took advantage of a fully
loaded bus which was departing for its destination.
The source added that she kept a bag filled with
explosives in a Volkswagen Sharon car, later left the scene
and detonated the explosives from a distance, killing
scores of people.
Those who died included hawkers while a couple of
vehicles were burnt in the fire that ensued.
19 persons died, 25 injured —Police
Police authorities in Gombe, capital of Gombe State said
19 persons died while 25 were critically injured. Confirming
the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, of
the state police command, DSP Fwaji Atajiri stated that the
area had been cordoned off, adding that those taken to
the state specialist hospital in the town were responding to
treatment.
Violence in the North-East is escalating ahead of the
February 14, 2015 general elections, with many concerned
that voting might be impossible in large parts of the region.
Gombe was hit by a triple bombing blamed on the
Islamists on October 31. The state shares a border with
Borno and Yobe, two of the states worst affected by Boko
Haram’s five-year insurgency which has cost more than
13,000 lives.
Boko Haram gunmen stormed Geidam in Yobe on Sunday,
setting fire to several buildings and forcing residents to flee
to the bush, witnesses said.
“They were chanting Allahu Akbar and firing shots and
throwing bombs,” said a resident, Adamu Shehu.
“We spent a night in the bush but from afar we could see
in the darkness flames and smoke coming from the town,”
he said. Geidam is the home town of Yobe’s Governor
Ibrahim Geidam and his home was also razed, witnesses
said.
The attackers rampaged late into the night and reportedly
faced no resistance from the military. While some people
fled, others locked themselves in houses that were later
torched and locals were going door-to-door to see if any
lives were lost.
“Our town is a mess,” said resident Brema Umar, who
reported that scores of people had fled overnight, many
towards Yobe’s capital, Damaturu, 180 kilometres (110
miles) to the north.
Details of attacks in the remote region often take several
days to emerge due to the poor mobile phone network.
10 die in Bauchi market blast
Vanguard gathered that the Bauchi market blast occurred a
few minutes before 6pm when people were preparing to
close for the day in a shop where the bomb was planted.
At the scene, tension was very high as security agents fired
gun shots to scare away angry youths who had started
pelting them with stones and other objects.
An eyewitness, who identified himself as Mu’azu Musa,
said that he saw charred bodies of victims as they were
being evacuated from the scene.
Musa, who said he was an Okada (commercial motorcycle)
rider and was by the roundabout near the market when the
blast occurred, said that he fell down from his motorcycle
when he saw the charred bodies of the victims, adding that
he lost consciousness as a result of the fall only to see
himself in the hospital.
Red Cross officials evacuated victims to the Trauma Centre
of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching
Hospital (ATBUTH).
Speaking with journalists at the hospital, the Deputy
Chairman, Medical Advisory Council (CMAC) of the
hospital, who is in charge of clinical matters, Dr. Saidu
Abubakar Kadas, stated that the actual figure of
thecasualties could not be ascertained yet as victims were
being brought in.
He, however, assured that the teaching hospital was in a
better position to handle the situation as most of its health
workers had been mobilised to attend to the victims.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the ATBUTH branch of the
Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, Idris Ado, a
pharmacist, said that the incident was unfortunate and
regrettable.
According to him, the health workers who were currently
on strike had been directed to report for work tomorrow
(today) to take care of the victims.
It’s barbaric — Yuguda
Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, condemned
the bomb blast, describing it as an unfortunate and
barbaric incident aimed at disrupting the peace being
enjoyed in the state.
The governor, according to a press statement by his Chief
Press Secretary (CPS), Deacon Ishola Michael Adeyemi,
condemned the perpetrators of the heinous act, describing
them as cowards who were always happy to spill innocent
blood without any justification.
He, however, reassured the people of the state that his
administration would not relent in its efforts to ensure that
lives and property of law-abiding citizens were protected at
all cost, adding that the administration had always
collaborated with security agents to maintain peace and
peaceful coexistence among the diverse people of the
state.
I-G orders deployment of strike units, tasks AIGs, CPs on
visibility policing for Chirstmas
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman
Abba, has ordered a nationwide deployment of police
strike units for a water-tight security throughout the
Christmas and New Year celebrations.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Force
Spokesman, Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu, yesterday, in Abuja.
The affected units are Police Mobile Force, Special
Protection Unit, Counter-Terrorism Unit, Explosive
Ordinance Department, Dog Section and Mounted Troops.
Abba also ordered the police air wing to carry out air
surveillance patrols, while the Marine Police should ensure
a sustained patrol of all the water ways.
He directed all Zonal Assistant Inspectors-General of Police
and Commissioners of Police in charge of state commands
to put in place extended “police visibility and patrols.”
The IG enjoined them to do this taking into consideration
the peculiar security situation to enable them protect the
citizens as they celebrate.
Abba advised operators of public places such as hotels,
viewing and recreation centres to be vigilant and ensure
that they properly screen all visitors/users of their facilities
during the period.
“Members of the public are also urged to report any
suspicious movement in their areas to the police,” he
charged.
Police begin sale of admission forms
Meanwhile, the force has announced the commencement of
sales of forms for admission into its degree awarding
institution in Kano, the Police Academy, Wudil.
A statement signed by the force spokesman, Mr Emmanuel
Ojukwu, yesterday, said the sales of the forms began on
Nov. 12 and was expected to end on March 31, 2015.
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