IT
was, indeed, another day of horror in Kano, on Monday, as no fewer than
20 passengers were feared when suspected suicide bombers bombed five
luxury buses.More than 50 other persons, including mostly itinerant petty traders selling sachet water, suffered varying degrees of injuries.
Nigerian Tribune observed that at least 10 other vehicles and about 20 shops containing goods estimated at several millions of naira were also burnt.
The tragedy reportedly occurred at about 5.20 p.m at the ever-busy motor park located on New Road, in Sabongari, in the ancient city.
It is the main park for prospective passengers to Lagos, Benin City, Port Harcourt, Enugu and other parts of the South-East.
The three-member suspected bombers were said to have arrived in a Volkswagen Golf car at the park, as the five buses belonging to three privately-owned mass transit firms were about taking off.
The car reportedly rammed into one of the fully loaded buses belonging to a privately owned mass transit company, Godson, resulting in a deafening explosion that was accompanied by an inferno.
While two buses belonging to the company were affected, another two owned by Chimenzie Motors and one bus belonging to Ezenwata Motors, all of which were said to fully loaded with intending passengers to the Eastern part of the country, were completely razed.
A witness said that a rescue team that comprised mostly of security operatives and men of the fire service managed to retrieve about 20 charred bodies when the fire was partially brought under control.
Virtually all the pictures were too unsightly for publication.
Scores of friends and relations of those who were trapped in the inferno, as well as other concerned residents of the city wailed and gnashed their teeth as the rescue team made further attempts to trace the remains of other passengers.
Though the source claimed that the situation was compounded by substances suspected to have been hidden in one of the two buses, it could not be confirmed as of press time.
It was a gory sight as some of the affected victims, particularly children selling sachet water, were seen being rescued in wheel barrows by sympathisers, apparently to nearby hospitals.
The whole of the city was thrown into pandemonium as other traders quickly shut their shops, especially at the popular Kano Central Market.
The president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Kano State chapter, Chief Tobias Michale Idika, who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune on the incident, expressed disgust, saying he counted no fewer than 20 bodies being evacuated in military trucks to mortuaries.
“I was at the scene of the incident, that is, New Road in Sabongari. In fact, this is the saddest day of life as a resident of Kano. I cannot believe what I have seen. But I know that we have consistently raised the alarm over the worsening security in the city. This is sad, tragic and horrendous,” he stated.
He claimed that “the five buses were ready to leave the park for the East when the suicide bombers came in a Golf car and rammed into one of the buses, which caught fire in the process after some very loud explosions. I can tell you that apart from, at least, 20 bodies among those burnt beyond recognition that have so far been retrieved by a combined team of security personnel and men of the fire service, many others were still in the vehicles as the fire raged.”
While the Gobson buses were said to have contained intending passengers to the Imo State capital, Owerri, those belonging to Ezenwanta and Chimezie were heading to Onitsha, in Anambra State.
“I ran for my dear life and managed to get out of the park after the second blast. Many people are lying dead. See, my clothes are covered in blood,” said Ibrahim Bello, holding up a blood-soaked shirt.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Boko Haram, which has frequently attacked the city, is a prime suspect.
When contacted the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Yushau Shuaibu said casualty figures could not be ascertained as of press time while the seriously injured have been taken to hospital while many bodies have been evacuated.
Neither the state police command nor the Joing Task Force (JTF) was forthcoming as they parried questions over the development.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Magaji Majiya, when contacted on phone, said he was in classroom and referred our reporter to JTF.
Captain Ikedichi Iweha said it was hasty to release casualty figures, adding that our interest now is to ensure that the injured were taken to the hospital for treatment, while efforts are being made by firefighters to extinguish the raging flames in the park.
“We are also making efforts to prevent thieves from taking advantage of the situation to steal properties,” he said.
Chief Idika said “this is the worst experience of the lives of the Igbo in Kano, we have lost over 60 souls, while five buses were burnt to ashes, which shows that we have always been the target of the attack, moving without protection.”
As of the time of filing this report, the tragic scene was cordoned off by men of the military joint task force to pave way for the evacuation of both the dead and injured victims, as the dead were taken to the Murtala Muhammed Specialist mortuary.
The attacks came as an audio tape emerged of a man saying he was the father of a family of seven French tourists kidnapped by Boko Haram militants.
On the tape, he read out a threat by them to increase kidnappings and suicide bombings in Cameroon if authorities in the country detain more of the group’s followers.
Jonathan condemns blast
President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned the blast.
A statement issued by presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati in Abuja on Monday night said the president assured that “the barbaric incident will not deter the Federal Government from its strong-willed determination to overcome those who do not mean well for this nation.
It added that the Federal Government will not be stampeded, for any reason whatsoever, into abandoning its unrelenting war against terrorists in the country.
President Jonathan reassured Nigerians and foreigners in the country that the Nigerian Government will continue to do all that is required to ensure the safety of lives and property, including continued collaboration with local and international partners and stakeholders to check the menace of terrorism.
Gunmen kill teacher in Borno school attack
In another development, a primary school, Sanda Kyari Kurah, located at Mafoni ward, one of the strongholds of insurgents, was said to have been attacked on Monday by suspected members of the Islamic militants, killing a teacher and two pupils.
Although nobody could say how the attackers came or their number, people around the area told Nigerian Tribune that they heard gunshots and, as usual, scampered for safety, only to come out hours later to be greeted with sight of corpses.
“You know it is difficult to know since these boys always come, do the deeds and disappear. This area has been prone to such attacks but not on small children, which is sad.
“It is also regretable that there is no presence of security personnel around and when such happened, it takes time before the security would come and by that time, the attackers would have disappeared,” Malam Umar Maisaje, a local resident, told the Nigerian Tribune in Maiduguri.
While attempting to confirm from both the police and JTF, Nigerian Tribune could not get the Police Commissioner, Yuguda Abdullahi, on phone, as his line was ringing but no answer.
Also the spokesman for the JTF, Lieutenant-Colonel Sagir Musa, could not be reached on phone.
TRIBUNE
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