27th July, 2014
MADUABUCHI NMERIBEH/Kano
Fresh facts have emerged how an unknown terrorist masterminded the bomb-blast at New Road Luxury Park, Sabon Gari, Kano northwest Nigeria.
Sources at the Park told P.M. NEWS on Saturday that Rasta (18) who brought in the bomb-infested goods into the Park did not know what he was carrying.
This is just as the Park authorities have appealed to security agencies to provide 24-hours anti-bomb squad response to frisk vehicles and human beings gaining entrance inside the Park.
According to Sources at the Park who spoke to our Correspondent Saturday afternoon, Rasta was the one who carried the bomb-infested fridge and water dispenser, property of an unknown person who posed as a passenger billed to be travelling to Port Harcourt through Onitsha route.
Impeccable sources at the Park described Rasta as an innocent and hardworking boy who never engaged in any criminal activities within the Park.
A ticket attendant with Ifeanyichukwu Motors who also survived the attack told our Correspondent that the attack was a surprise to many.
The young man who simply identified himself as Aguleri while giving account of the ugly experience said: “Any way, we were sitting in front of our motor, Ifeanyichukwu, so one Hausa boy came with a truck; and there was fridge inside the truck; and we asked him who is the owner of the load and he said the owner was coming; that the owner said he should wait for him while he looked out for a change to pay him for carrying the load. We were there writing ticket for people, and what we heard the next minute was a big bang; and that is how I see myself in this situation.”
Rasta died while carrying the bomb-infested goods on his hands, and eyewitness account quoted him as saying: “Don Naira hamsin wanda za’a bani, woni ya bani kaya day a Kashe ni. Kumi, a cikin azumi shine wannan mutumia ya bani kaya da wa sanadiyan mutuwa na, In Allah ya yarda, Allah zai yi mun sakayya. (I am in search of my daily bread just because of N50, a heartless someone gave me some goods that killed me. We are in the Holy month of Ramadan. This man made me to carry the load that led to my death. By the will of Allah, He will vindicate me.)”
P.M.NEWS further gathered that the unknown man who hired the services of Rasta alighted from a Taxi and stopped by the gate of the Park, “he urged Rasta to take the load to Port Harcourt line, and wait for him to get a change to pay him inside the Park. But in the process of waiting for the owner of the load, the bomb exploded and wreaked havoc,” said another eyewitness.
The Unity Progressive Union, UPU, an interest group within the Luxury Park called on Kano state police Command to position a 24-hour anti-bomb squad at the entrance of the Luxury Park to frisk all vehicles, luggage and human beings gaining entrance into the Park.
UPU chairperson, Mrs. Regina Emmanuel, owner of Destiny Restaurant, insisted that the only way to solve terror-attack in the Park is to create an Anti-bomb Squad unit.
Giving account of the incident, she narrated: “On Thursday, 24 July, I was serving customers food. Everybody was selling and business activities were booming. On that fateful day, buses coming from the South arrived late largely because of the curfew imposed on Kaduna. At about 1:30 P.M. the first bus arrived and everybody in the Park jubilated; 30 minutes later, the second bus arrived and the jubilation was high; then at about 2:30 P.M. the third bus arrived and everybody was in happy mood—all these three buses were in Port Harcourt line.
“The third bus that arrived at that time was Ifeanyichukwu Motors. As God could have it, the driver put off the engine; if not, the havoc would have been more devastating. So, as I was telling you, all of a sudden, with a plate of fufu on my hand for a customer, I heard a bang…and as I ran for dear life, I saw people lying on the ground with the pull of their own blood. I counted about three dead bodies, with a woman’s head severed.”
The General-Secretary of Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria, Kano branch, Mr. Godson Nwokoma, appealed to the insurgents and Federal Government to elect dialogue so as to put to an end this carnage of wasting human lives.
In his own account, he said: “On Thursday, 24 July, a tragic event happened here in the Park; and we are trying our best being a peace-loving group to be pursuing the cause of peace. We still do not want a situation whereby people will be having fears and we will want to believe in the words of the state Governor, Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso who is has promised that he is going to do everything within his reach to restore peace—and we are also toeing in that same line to see that normalcy returns here. As you can see, activities in the Park has picked up.
“We have started our normal business and also passengers have started coming and the normal activities are already in booming. We still believe that our brothers who are performing this evil act will have a rethink in their minds and consider that what is being wasted are human lives and human blood which cannot be purchased in the market. Whatever their problems are, we under this umbrella of the Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria, Kano branch, are still making appeal that their grievances can be handled in a round-table discussion with the appropriate quarters.
“So, we are still making appeal to them that whatever their problems are, let them channel it through the proper authorities concerned than wasting innocent lives and properties, which in the long-run will affect hapless Nigerians, affect the unity of the nation, affect the brotherhood of the nation; and so, we use this medium to call on our customers to bear with us. This is not our doing; but as you can see, from the entrance of the gate, we do everything within our reach to see that security is being maintained, but you also bear in mind that we are only human beings. We can only do things that are within our reach.”