Scores
of people were killed yesterday in an explosion in a busy market in
Bauchi, hours after twin bomb attacks rocked neighbouring Gombe State,
where 20 people were said to have died, with 40 others injured.Although
the number of casualties could not be ascertained, but eyewitnesses said
it would be high as large sections of the Bauchi central market were
still on fire at the time of the report.
Large balls of smoke were seen in the air as medical personnel and ambulances ferried some wounded persons to hospitals.An eyewitness said the blast occurred at about 5:40 p.m. as traders were preparing to close for the day, adding that it occurred near a police outpost inside the market.
Adamu Abubakar, a Red Cross official in Bauchi, confirmed that, “There was an explosion in the market with a large number of women traders, at around 5:00 pm,” adding that, “There are heavy casualties, of course. But for now, we can’t do anything until the fire is put out.”
Some witnesses said at least 15 people were killed in the attack, but police spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, who also confirmed the incident, added that he had no details yet.
Many of the buyers, especially women who came to shop for Christmas celebration were caught in the bomb blast.
A witness, who identified himself as Mu’azu Musa, said he saw charred bodies of victims as they were being evacuated from the scene of the blast.
Musa, who said he was on Okada around the roundabout near the market when the blast occurred, stated 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 this only to see himself in the hospital.
Victims were seen evacuated from the scene by Red Cross officials to the Trauma Centre of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi.
The Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Council (CMAC) of the hospital in charge of clinical matters, Dr Saidu Abubakar Kadas, told newsmen that the actual figure of the casualties could not be ascertained yet as victims were being brought in.
He, however, assured that the teaching hospital was in a better stead to handle the situation as most of its health workers had been mobilised to attend to the victims.Also, the Chairman of the ATBUTH branch of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, Idris Ado, a pharmacist, stated 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.
Newswatch Times gathered that the situation caused serious panic as people scampered for safety.
However, the flame of the blast could not allow security operatives and the newsmen to gain access into the market, but personnel of the fire service were seen busy trying to put off the fire.
The spokesman of Bauchi State Police Command, DSP Haruna Mohammed, who confirmed the incident, said the bomb blast went off at about 5:40, but could not also give the causality figure.
He said: “As a result of the blast, the market went into flames. The scene was cordoned off by a combined security forces, including police explosive ordinance disposal unit. The Commissioner of Police visited the scene for on the spot assessment.”
According to him, “It is too early to ascertain the level of casualties and damages now, because rescue operation is still ongoing while effort by fire service is on to put off the fire. Investigation is also in progress regarding the explosion.”
Governor Isa Yuguda has, however, condemned the bomb blast, describing it as a most unfortunate and barbaric incident that disrupted the peace being enjoyed in the state.
Yuguda described the perpetrators of the heinous act as cowards who derived joy in unleashing mayhem on innocent citizens.
He assured the residents of the state that his administration will not relent in its efforts to ensure safety of lives and properties of the law abiding citizens.
Yuguda sympathized with the families of those who lost their loved ones in the dastardly attack.
And in Gombe, an official from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), who declined to be named, was quoted as saying 20 were confirmed dead so far and the 40 wounded were currently being attended to.
Newswatch Times learnt that the attack occurred at 10:50 am when a female bomber, who disguised as a passenger, boarded a bus at the busy Dukku Motor Park.
She was said to have dropped the bag loaded with the explosives in the bus without telling any of the passengers where she was going and after she had left, the explosive went off.
“The second blast was worse than the first one because many people rushed to the scene and were affected. Many were killed and many injured,” a witness, Mohammed Fawu, said on phone.
The witness said the bomber took advantage of the festive period in the crowded park when passengers had already boarded vehicles to travel to parts of the state.
“I watched as corpses were being evacuated by the police. They all died in the buses,” said Hadiza Suleiman, an undergraduate student, adding that she had seen 20 bodies.
Other witnesses said the victims of the blast, mostly women and children, were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre and Gombe General Hospital for medical attention.
Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr. Kudu Nma, who was contacted from Abuja by Newswatch Times, refused to comment on the matter and when pressed further, the commissioner angrily said: “Get across to my public relations officer [PPRO], Fwaje Atajiri. I said get across to my PPRO.”
When Newswatch Times told the commissioner that the PPRO’s phone was switched off, he said: “Well, continue trying until you get the PPRO. I really do not know the casualty figure because I have not been able to go out due to other pressing duties requiring my attention here in the office.”
Sources at the General Hospital in Gombe stated that the hospital received many bodies who were killed and other wounded victims of the blast.
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Fwaji Atajiri, who later confirmed the incident to newsmen in Gombe, said 19 people were dead, while 25 were injured and were currently receiving medical attention at various hospitals in the state.
According to him, already the police had condoned off the area, adding that those who died in the blast had been taken to the mortuary, while the injured were responding to treatment at Gombe Specialist Hospital.
The police spokesman called on the general public to assist security agencies in order to maintain law and order, saying the police cannot perform their civic responsibility without the assistance of the public. He urged members of the public to report any suspicious movements in their vicinities.
It was the second such attack on Gombe’s public transport system in months. At the end of October, a car bomb at a bus stop killed at least 31 killing 23 people.
However, Senate President David Mark yesterday charged the nation’s security operatives to redouble their efforts at unmasking sponsors of Boko Haram in Nigeria as the surest way of effectively eliminating the insurgents in our midst.
He reasoned that doing so within and outside the country will facilitate quick end to the reign of terror in the land.
Senator Mark, who spoke after decorating his Aide-camp (ADC) Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Abel Miri with his new rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in Abuja, urged the security operatives to bring their intellect and investigative skills to bear in detecting those behind the insurgency.
He implored community leaders and citizens alike to collaborate with security operatives in order to fish out the financiers of the criminals forthwith.
“The un-abating situation demands extraordinary measures to handle. All of us, irrespective of status, must be alert to our responsibilities. Let us rise as one people faced with a common problem to say no to these harbingers of death. Let’s come together and work hard to free ourselves.
“All Nigerians must see these terrorists as a threat to our existence. Nobody should sit on the fence any more. It is a choice we have to make in chasing these terrorists away or wait to be consumed by them. This is not about politics, religion or ethnicity. It is about our survival as a nation,” he said.
On the newly promoted ACP, Mark reminded him that the new rank demands higher responsibility and dedication to the service to his fatherland saying: “As an officer and gentleman, your loyalty is to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
In carrying out his assignment, he told him “to be fair and firm, devoid of any sentiments; you must be just to all persons no matter the circumstances.”
Water Resources Minister Sarah Ochekpe, who was among dignitaries that witnessed the decoration, thanked the Senate President for giving Miri the platform to distinguish himself in the service to the nation.
- -My News Watch
Large balls of smoke were seen in the air as medical personnel and ambulances ferried some wounded persons to hospitals.An eyewitness said the blast occurred at about 5:40 p.m. as traders were preparing to close for the day, adding that it occurred near a police outpost inside the market.
Adamu Abubakar, a Red Cross official in Bauchi, confirmed that, “There was an explosion in the market with a large number of women traders, at around 5:00 pm,” adding that, “There are heavy casualties, of course. But for now, we can’t do anything until the fire is put out.”
Some witnesses said at least 15 people were killed in the attack, but police spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, who also confirmed the incident, added that he had no details yet.
Many of the buyers, especially women who came to shop for Christmas celebration were caught in the bomb blast.
A witness, who identified himself as Mu’azu Musa, said he saw charred bodies of victims as they were being evacuated from the scene of the blast.
Musa, who said he was on Okada around the roundabout near the market when the blast occurred, stated 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 this only to see himself in the hospital.
Victims were seen evacuated from the scene by Red Cross officials to the Trauma Centre of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi.
The Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Council (CMAC) of the hospital in charge of clinical matters, Dr Saidu Abubakar Kadas, told newsmen that the actual figure of the casualties could not be ascertained yet as victims were being brought in.
He, however, assured that the teaching hospital was in a better stead to handle the situation as most of its health workers had been mobilised to attend to the victims.Also, the Chairman of the ATBUTH branch of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, Idris Ado, a pharmacist, stated 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.
Newswatch Times gathered that the situation caused serious panic as people scampered for safety.
However, the flame of the blast could not allow security operatives and the newsmen to gain access into the market, but personnel of the fire service were seen busy trying to put off the fire.
The spokesman of Bauchi State Police Command, DSP Haruna Mohammed, who confirmed the incident, said the bomb blast went off at about 5:40, but could not also give the causality figure.
He said: “As a result of the blast, the market went into flames. The scene was cordoned off by a combined security forces, including police explosive ordinance disposal unit. The Commissioner of Police visited the scene for on the spot assessment.”
According to him, “It is too early to ascertain the level of casualties and damages now, because rescue operation is still ongoing while effort by fire service is on to put off the fire. Investigation is also in progress regarding the explosion.”
Governor Isa Yuguda has, however, condemned the bomb blast, describing it as a most unfortunate and barbaric incident that disrupted the peace being enjoyed in the state.
Yuguda described the perpetrators of the heinous act as cowards who derived joy in unleashing mayhem on innocent citizens.
He assured the residents of the state that his administration will not relent in its efforts to ensure safety of lives and properties of the law abiding citizens.
Yuguda sympathized with the families of those who lost their loved ones in the dastardly attack.
And in Gombe, an official from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), who declined to be named, was quoted as saying 20 were confirmed dead so far and the 40 wounded were currently being attended to.
Newswatch Times learnt that the attack occurred at 10:50 am when a female bomber, who disguised as a passenger, boarded a bus at the busy Dukku Motor Park.
She was said to have dropped the bag loaded with the explosives in the bus without telling any of the passengers where she was going and after she had left, the explosive went off.
“The second blast was worse than the first one because many people rushed to the scene and were affected. Many were killed and many injured,” a witness, Mohammed Fawu, said on phone.
The witness said the bomber took advantage of the festive period in the crowded park when passengers had already boarded vehicles to travel to parts of the state.
“I watched as corpses were being evacuated by the police. They all died in the buses,” said Hadiza Suleiman, an undergraduate student, adding that she had seen 20 bodies.
Other witnesses said the victims of the blast, mostly women and children, were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre and Gombe General Hospital for medical attention.
Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr. Kudu Nma, who was contacted from Abuja by Newswatch Times, refused to comment on the matter and when pressed further, the commissioner angrily said: “Get across to my public relations officer [PPRO], Fwaje Atajiri. I said get across to my PPRO.”
When Newswatch Times told the commissioner that the PPRO’s phone was switched off, he said: “Well, continue trying until you get the PPRO. I really do not know the casualty figure because I have not been able to go out due to other pressing duties requiring my attention here in the office.”
Sources at the General Hospital in Gombe stated that the hospital received many bodies who were killed and other wounded victims of the blast.
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Fwaji Atajiri, who later confirmed the incident to newsmen in Gombe, said 19 people were dead, while 25 were injured and were currently receiving medical attention at various hospitals in the state.
According to him, already the police had condoned off the area, adding that those who died in the blast had been taken to the mortuary, while the injured were responding to treatment at Gombe Specialist Hospital.
The police spokesman called on the general public to assist security agencies in order to maintain law and order, saying the police cannot perform their civic responsibility without the assistance of the public. He urged members of the public to report any suspicious movements in their vicinities.
It was the second such attack on Gombe’s public transport system in months. At the end of October, a car bomb at a bus stop killed at least 31 killing 23 people.
However, Senate President David Mark yesterday charged the nation’s security operatives to redouble their efforts at unmasking sponsors of Boko Haram in Nigeria as the surest way of effectively eliminating the insurgents in our midst.
He reasoned that doing so within and outside the country will facilitate quick end to the reign of terror in the land.
Senator Mark, who spoke after decorating his Aide-camp (ADC) Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Abel Miri with his new rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in Abuja, urged the security operatives to bring their intellect and investigative skills to bear in detecting those behind the insurgency.
He implored community leaders and citizens alike to collaborate with security operatives in order to fish out the financiers of the criminals forthwith.
“The un-abating situation demands extraordinary measures to handle. All of us, irrespective of status, must be alert to our responsibilities. Let us rise as one people faced with a common problem to say no to these harbingers of death. Let’s come together and work hard to free ourselves.
“All Nigerians must see these terrorists as a threat to our existence. Nobody should sit on the fence any more. It is a choice we have to make in chasing these terrorists away or wait to be consumed by them. This is not about politics, religion or ethnicity. It is about our survival as a nation,” he said.
On the newly promoted ACP, Mark reminded him that the new rank demands higher responsibility and dedication to the service to his fatherland saying: “As an officer and gentleman, your loyalty is to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
In carrying out his assignment, he told him “to be fair and firm, devoid of any sentiments; you must be just to all persons no matter the circumstances.”
Water Resources Minister Sarah Ochekpe, who was among dignitaries that witnessed the decoration, thanked the Senate President for giving Miri the platform to distinguish himself in the service to the nation.
- -My News Watch
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