Tuesday was a day of weeping and anguish in Jos, the Plateau State capital, when twin explosions shattered the tranquility in the city that had enjoyed some semblance of peace for a while.
The two explosions resulted in the deaths of at least 118 persons, injured several others and left residents confused and scampering for safety, thisday reports.
Reacting to the blasts, President Goodluck Jonathan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal and the Plateau State Government condemned the attacks on the city, and described the perpetrators of the tragic assault on human freedom as cruel and evil.
This came as the Kano State Police Command announced yesterday that two men had been arrested in connection with last Sunday's suicide car bombing in Kano.
In Jos, the first bomb went off at about 2:55 pm along Murtala Mohammed Way right in front of the railway terminal, which is opposite the old site of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).
The first explosion was followed by a second one about 26 minutes later within the same vicinity, wreaking more havoc particularly on the first set of rescuers who had gone to help victims of the first explosion.
The state Police Commissioner, Chris Olakpe, who spoke to reporters after the blast said: “So far 46 corpses have been deposited in various hospitals in the state, while 45 persons have been hospitalised with varying injuries.”
Olakpe said preliminary investigations revealed that a suicide bomber, who abandoned his car at the terminus market axis later came back to detonate it.
He said: “Thirty minutes later, a Sienna bus also laden with IEDs also exploded killing more persons.”
He cautioned residents against rushing to the scene of the explosions and appealed to them to be alert and security conscious.
However, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said last night that the death toll had risen to 118, warning that it could rise further.
“The exact figure of the dead bodies recovered as of now is 118,” Mohammed Abdulsalam, Coordinator for NEMA in the city, told AFP.
He added that “more bodies may be in the debris” of buildings which collapsed due to the intensity of the blasts.
Fifty-six people were injured in the twin blasts, said Abdulsalam. The military said the IEDs were hidden inside a truck and a minibus and went off within minutes of each other.
The vibration of the blasts, which shook most buildings around the vicinity, left in its trail many collapsed buildings, damaged cars and the charred remains of victims.
The blasts sent panic all over the town, as people rushed to lock their offices and shops, while parents whose wards were still in school hurried to pick them up.
In the process, several minor accidents were recorded, as people ran for safety.
THISDAY gathered that a vehicle laden with explosives was parked in the area, which had been turned into a makeshift market since the Jos main market was burnt several years ago.
Immediately after the blasts, a thick smoke enveloped the scene and caused total darkness and could be seen many kilometres away.
Fire fighters, men of the Special Task Force (STF) and ambulances immediately rushed to the scene and took control. Their efforts prevented the resultant fire from the blasts from spreading to other areas.
Many of the injured were taken to JUTH and Plateau Specialist Hospital.
A survivor, Mr. Chong, who spoke to THISDAY, said: “I was at the market when I heard a very loud sound. Then darkness enveloped the whole place. I didn't know how I survived.”
Jonathan, Tambuwal, Others Condemn Blasts
Expectedly, reactions to the twin explosions were fast and furious, with Jonathan condemning in strong terms the assault on Jos.
The president equally directed all relevant agencies to mobilise support and relief efforts in aid of the victims.
In a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, Jonathan extended his heartfelt sympathies to the affected families and persons.
According to the statement, “President Jonathan assures all Nigerians that government remains fully committed to winning the war against terror, and this administration will not be cowed by the atrocities of enemies of human progress and civilisation.”
In his reaction, Tambuwal also condemned the multiple bomb blasts, calling the attacks an act of cowardice that has no place in civilised societies.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, the speaker urged the security agencies to redouble their efforts to fish out the perpetrators of the attacks. He equally appealed to members of the public to provide the security agencies with useful information that would help investigations.
He urged Nigerians not to despair, saying the current security challenges bedevilling the nation would soon be a thing of the past.
While condoling with the families of those who lost loved ones in the attack, the speaker prayed to God to bless the injured with speedy recovery.
However, Hon. Bitrus Kaze, the member representing Jos South and Jos East Constituency in the House of Representatives, said the “torrents of public condemnations over the renewed bombings of the city are no longer appreciated by the traumatised people on the Plateau”.
He said such remarks were made after maximum damage had been inflicted on innocent citizens by the dare devil terrorists, adding: “Multiple media statements and numerous panels of inquiry devoid of concomitant action mean little or nothing to us.
“Citizens on the Plateau demand as of right, maximum security and welfare from their elected government. This is the primary essence of government. We demand action; the time for spewing statements in the face of terror is long gone.
“Although we are no longer captivated by these press statements, we cannot help but define this crime against humanity within its proper context; it is despicable, callous and reprehensible.
“We know that on no account will any responsible government allow its citizens to take the laws into their hands, however it does not offend any law for the people to be vigilant with the view to defending their lives and property.
“Against this backdrop therefore, the demand for state police cannot abate, the inability of the federal government to effectively police over 150 million citizens is all too obvious,” Kaze said.
However, he urged the residents of Jos and the rest of the state to remain calm but very alert.
Also, the Plateau State Commissioner for Information, Olivia Daziem, who also addressed the press at the NUJ secretariat in Jos, appealed to all hospitals in the state to accept those injured.
She said full investigations were ongoing in order to unravel those behind the attacks.
“This is a trying moment for the country; I am appealing to citizens of the state to be alert and security conscious," she said.
In its remarks, a non-governmental organisation, Apurimac Onlus, in a statement signed by its coordinator, Godwin Okoko, condemned the blast.
While appealing to various communities in Jos to remain calm and maintain the peace, he urged security agencies to get to the root of the matter and bring an end to the continual killings of innocent persons.
Two Arrested over Kano Bombing
In a related development, two men have been arrested in connection with Sunday's suicide car bombing in Kano that killed four, the police said yesterday.
“Two suspects are now in custody in connection with Sunday’s bombing in Sabon Gari,” Kano police spokesman Musa Magaji Majia told AFP.
Majia said the pair were arrested by people at a bus station in the city that was previously attacked by Boko Haram militants after they overheard them talking about the bombing.
“They were apprehended and the police station there was alerted, which led to their arrest and transfer to the police headquarters,” he added.
The authorities have not said who was responsible for the blast, which ripped through a neighbourhood in Sabon Gari at about 10 pm on Sunday.
The area is a popular entertainment haunt because of its many roadside bars and restaurants. thisdaylive
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