Hell returns to Kano

…Dozens killed as Boko Haram bombs five loaded luxury buses

Suicide bombers, on Monday killed an unspecified number of persons in an attack at a luxury bus station in Kano. The bombers also injured many other passengers in the attack that occurred at about 4.00pm at New Road Luxury Park, a bus station, which is mostly used by Igbo residents in the state.

The victims were mainly Port Harcourt-bound passengers, who were travelling with Gobison Motors to the East, as well as those passengers on yet another Gobison Motors bus to Lagos. Others affected by the series of explosions were petty traders, who sold various items to the intending passengers near the ill-fated buses.

More after the cut

A witness, who survived the explosion by the whiskers, said the bomb exploded just when the task force officers in the bus park were checking the vehicles, preparatory to departure.

Daily Sun observed corpses as they were being moved out of the park. Some of them were covered and conveyed in water vendor trucks to waiting police Hilux vans, which took them away to the morgue. Emergency medical services were not immediately noticed.

A few wounded persons were lying on the road. Timothy Obi, a witness of the explosion, told Daily Sun that the bombers came into the park in a white Golf car and “barely three minutes after they drove into the park, the next thing we heard was an explosion that shattered our world.”

He recalled that he was standing in the centre of the park at the time of the explosions, adding that: “When they (bombers) arrived the park, typical of motor park boys, they (motor park boys) were rushing after the bombers’ vehicle, thinking that they were intending passengers. “But the three of them stayed inside, wound up their window glasses and were making calls.

Then the next we heard was the explosion,” he said. According to the witness, three suicide bombers died in the explosion, adding that they parked their car in between two luxury buses belonging to Gobison Motors. Those buses, he said further, had many passengers in them at the time of the explosion as they were almost set to take off. He added that after the initial explosion, several others occurred, but he could not say whether the subsequent explosions were triggered by the bombers or if they were caused inflammable at the scene.

Obi thanked God for his life and prayed for the souls of the victims. Daily Sun observed that some women fainted upon discovery and confirmation that their relatives had been killed or were injured in the blast. Non natives, especially Igbo, were wailing all over Sabon Gari area as the news of tragedy spread.

Several of the casualties with bloodstain were seen as they were being rushed to the nearby clinics, while others were so seriously injured that tlay helplessly by the roadside. As at press time, members of the Joint Security Task Force, made of soldiers and policemen, have cordoned off the bus station from all its entry positions, keeping away a surging crowd of sympathisers and relatives of victims. Firemen from the Kano State Fire Brigade Service were seen rushing in and out of the motor park trying to put out the fire from luxury buses that were still burning as at dusk.

A number of Luxury buses were still burning as at press time with black smoke billowing into the sky. In his reaction, the Eze Ndigbo 1 of Kano, Igwe Boniface Ibekwe decried the spate of attacks in the state and held that it was becoming unbearable for the Igbo in the state. He expressed deep pain, stressing that the Federal Government must put a stop to the killings of innocent people.

He feared that the killings, if left unchecked, were capable of snowballing into a bigger conflict in the country. The President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Tobias Michael Idika, cried, “Finally they have got us,” the Igbo Chief who managed to break through into the park said: “At the time it exploded, there was a brand new Gobison bus that was parked by the side. It is assumed that the next bus had bombs in it and soon after, the second bus exploded.

Before long, two vehicles belonging to God Bless Ezenwata exploded and were on fire. Later, Chimezie bus also caught fire.” Idika reported seeing many bodies of victims killed in the blast when he smuggled himself into the park soon after the explosion occured, adding that he counted no fewer than 40 corpses.

“The Igbo race is facing its worst situation in Kano State presently,” he declared. The Ohanaeze president lamented that this was not the first time that yesterday’s attacked was not the first in the bus station, adding that it was the careessness of those who were responsible for protecting the lives and property of the people that allowed the tragedy to repeat itself. “We have always prayed that property security should be provided for our people, but each time, they would rush down and ask us to keep quiet.

Now, see this catastrophy that has befallen us in this land. See the pains of our people. See their tears as they are crying,” he stated and burst into tears himself.

Spokesman of the Joint Security Task Force in the state, Captain Ikediche Iweha told Daily Sun that they were to collate the figures of the dead bodies, adding that it would take time to get the exact figure of the dead. He explained that they had cordoned off the scene, to ensure that people did not take advantage of the situation to loot property belonging to victims, adding also that they were helping to ensure that the wounded got immediate medical attention. He promised to give the figure as soon as possible.