Kano explosions: How Low Phone Battery Saved My Life – Survivor

One of the survivors of the multiple explosions in Sabon Gari Motor Park, Kano, Emy Osodi, yesterday recounted to LEADERSHIP how he escaped death from the explosions that took place on Monday.
An official of a leading telecommunications coy, Osodi disclosed that he was a passenger in one of the bombed Lagos-bound luxurious buses. His last-minute decision to charge his low battery phone saved his life, he said.
According to the survivor, he had just commenced his two-week leave and was looking forward to celebrating the Easter with his family in Lagos. Staying away from home for almost six months is not his usual way but, due to his tight schedule, he had not been able to visit his family in a while. So, he decided to pay his family a surprise visit by taking the Lagos-bound night bus from Kano to arrive in the morning of Tuesday, but fate had other plans.
A colleague had dropped him off at the park and they spent a few minutes talking about how they would spend the Easter in Lagos. He bought his ticket and secured a seat inside the luxurious bus after his colleague had driven off. The park was busy as usual with hawkers moving from bus to bus looking for buyers of their wares, travellers queuing to buy tickets, kids playing around and family members saying goodbyes to loved ones.
“It was going to be a long journey and my battery was low. So, I alighted from the bus to charge my phone in a shop as the driver was still awaiting more passengers. Some minutes later, I heard a loud noise; more explosions followed. I turned only to see fire caused by the explosion from buses including the bus I alighted from. It was beyond belief. People, luggage, buses and shops were burning. As people looked for escape routes, the dead and dying people were trampled upon.
“I stood where I was, shivering and trying to recover from the shock and fear that I would have been in one of the buses that exploded,” Osodi said.

Tackle insecurity, Ado Bayero Tells FG
Meanwhile, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, has called on the federal government to adopt appropriate measures to tackle the lingering insecurity challenges in the country.
Bayero made the call at the scene of Monday’s explosion in Sabon Gari, Kano, while on a sympathy visit.
He urged Igbo people and officials of transport companies affected by the incident to support the security agencies to bring about lasting peace in the state.
The emir, represented by the district head of Fagge, Alhaji Mahmud Bayero, described the incident as “most unfortunate’’.
“We don’t know why this thing is happening only in Kano,’’ the royal father said, calling on the people to continue to pray for the sustenance of peace in the state and the country.

22 dead, 65 injured in Kano suicide attack — Police
The Kano State police command on Tuesday said 22 people had died and 65 others were injured during the suicide bomb attack at a motor park in Sabon Gari, Kano, on Monday evening.
Other authorities said the number of casualties had climbed past 120 by Tuesday.
The commissioner of police, Kano State, Alhaji Musa Daura, told journalists in Kano that the attack was executed by two suicide bombers who rammed their vehicles against a bus loaded with passengers at the park.
“Two suicide bombers drove a Golf car blue in colour into the luxurious bus motor park along New Road, Sabon Gari, Kano. They attacked and hit a loaded bus belonging to Gobison Motors which was taking off to Lagos and sparked off a serious explosion,’’ Daura said.
He said this caused the bus to burst into flames which affected passengers, hawkers, traders and other workers at the park.
Daura said five buses were burnt during the incident, adding: “ Fire fighters were immediately summoned to the scene and the flames were put under control and the whole area was cordoned off.’’
The commissioner said those who survived the attack were currently receiving medical attention in hospitals in the city, while the corpses had been deposited in the morgue.
He urged the general public to remain calm and go about their normal businesses.

Gunmen kill policewoman in Kano
Meanwhile, the police commissioner has confirmed the killing of a police woman by suspected gunmen on Tuesday morning.
He said the victim, who was attached to Zone 1, Headquarters, was killed while replacing a flat tyre on her car, adding that investigation on the two incidents had commenced.(NAN)

Kano orders free medical treatment for bomb victims
The Kano State government yesterday directed its hospitals to treat all the victims of the recent luxury bus bomb attack at a motor park in Kano free of charge.
The state deputy governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, said this while addressing newsmen shortly after he visited some of the victims at the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital in Kano.

Kano Attack: FG vows to apprehend masterminds
Meanwhile, the federal government has stated that it will fish out those behind the deadly attack.
The minister of interior, Comrade Abba Moro, made the vow while reacting to the unprovoked attack and killing of innocent Nigerians which he further described as callous, unwarranted and wicked by a group he identified as “members of a dastardly sect”.

Explosion kills soldier, injures 2 in Maiduguri —JTF
In a related development, the Joint Task Force (JTF) on Operation Restore Order (ORO) said stated yesterday that a soldier was killed after an explosion near the First Bank Roundabout in Maiduguri.
The force’s spokesman, Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, announced this in a statement in Maiduguri.
Musa said that two other soldiers were injured by the explosion caused by a remote-controlled device suspected to have been planted by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.
He said: “A remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) planted by suspected terrorists targeted at a JTF patrol van exploded around First Bank Roundabout at about 12.30 pm on Tuesday.
“The blast led to the death of one soldier; two other soldiers were injured,’’ he said.
Musa said that a Toyota Hilux van and a Honda Accord salon car were also damaged by the explosion.
He said that the incident did not record any civilian casualty.
“The area was cordoned off and swept by the Bomb Disposal Arm of the JTF to avoid possible explosion of undetonated bombs on poor innocent civilians,’’ Musa added..
He said that the JTF had arrested 10 suspected terrorists in connection with the blast.(NAN)

31 victims receiving treatment at hospital
Thirty-one victims of Monday’s suicide bomb-attack are being treated at the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital in Kano, Dr Mansir Nagoda, chief medical director (CMD) of the hospital, said.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday that the victims were admitted for various injuries including burns, burst abdomen and fracture.

Reps mandate c’ttes to meet with SFG on terrorism
Worried about the killing of innocent Nigerians and other nationals in the bomb blast in Kano on Monday by terrorist groups, members of the House of Representatives yesterday urged the federal government to end terrorism in Nigeria.
The lawmakers, while adopting a resolution of a motion on the subject, mandated the committees on Public Safety, Army, Defence and Police Affairs to engage the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, to brainstorm on how to solve the problem.
The motion, which was raised by Hon. Ibrahim Olaifa (Accord, Oyo), lamented “That several innocent Nigerians have been killed in the last three years due to the activities of Boko Haram. On Monday almost 200 people were killed in Kano. “

Military stops reprisal in the east
But for intelligence gathering of the military and a prompt response that followed, there would have been reprisal attacks in the eastern part of the country, especially Onitsha, over the multiple explosions in Kano.
A military source confided in LEADERSHIP, “As you are aware, about 60 people died were killed inside the two luxurious buses going to Lagos and most of them, if not all, were Igbo. And as soon as the information took over the airwaves, especially the social media, then intelligence gathering revealed plan for reprisal attacks in Enugu, Owerri, Aba and Onitsha especially but the military has to quickly move in, making necessary contacts and beefing up the security”.
According to him, the chief of army staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, played prominent roles in dousing the tension.
As a result of the incident, the military authorities reportedly suspended all their public functions “for security reasons and as a mark of respect to those that were killed in Kano, Jos and Maiduguri”.