TheCable

A few minutes past 8pm on Thursday, there was a bang, a loud one that shook buildings to their foundations around the Nyanya-Maraba-Karu axis.

Red flames in effusive anger burnt flesh, bones and cars.

And the blood of innocent victims wetted the ground copiously.

The bomb which caused such devastation was wired to a Madza parked by the road at Karshi Taxi Park.

The attack was calculated to cause greater damage going by the point of explosion – a busy road where traffic jams are perennial.

Twenty minutes after the blast, soldiers arrived on the scene, but rescue workers from the National Emergency Management Agency did not come until after 35 minutes.

The pensive crowd that gathered around the scene of the incident went up in lamentations of their hopeless situation, some agitated, wanted to “discipline” the rescue workers for coming late.

They said, between mixed sense and cacophony, “You dey leave us to die. Where we dey go for this country? Where we go run go?”

Rescue effort

The vehicles of the police – which came later – were used to evacuate the dead to Asokoro District Hospital.

The wounded were conveyed by NEMA vehicles to the same hospital.

However, some other agents like officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps joined in the rescue effort.

By an on-the-spot count, there were seven dead people and six wounded persons.

Around 11.30pm at Asokoro District Hospital, a FRSC officer who took part in the rescue and evacuation told TheCable that the dead may be more than 25 while the wounded may be more than 30.

He added that at the Asokoro hospital, there were 12 dead people in the mortuary already, and about 30 wounded persons receiving treatment.

“Other hospitals may have received more dead people,” he said.

The number of the wounded is 41.

Thirty of the wounded are at Asokoro District Hospital, 9 at National Hospital, and 2 Maitama General Hospital.

These figures were confirmed by Mrs Ademola Onakomaiya, the secretary, Health and Human Services of the Federal Capital Territory.

Security overzealousness

A light crowd – comprising relatives and friends of the dead and the wounded – which massed around the gate of the hospital and in tepid cold was barred from entering the hospital by security agents.

About the same time the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed, was still at the hospital, the overzealous security agents beat up some of the impatient “wailers” who were trying to force themselves into the hospital.

One of the wailers whose name is Emeka fainted after much pummeling.

Emeka was a boy whose neighbour was caught in the tragic incident. He had come to donate blood to his neighbour, alongside his mother.

He could not be reached afterwards because the security agents took him away.

His mother, Princess, created a scene, screaming trenchantly: “Please tell army to bring back my son! Where is my son? We are here to help people! He is my only son, tell army to bring him back!” she cried.

Her son was released to her in the early hours of today morning.

Mental imbalance

And as the dramatic exertions of the embittered mother were ending, a young man, Tom, stormed out of the hospital.

The impact of the blast had partially affected his ability to function mentally.

He was holding a cigarette, and shouting: “Give me a lighter! Somebody give me a lighter! The nurses are just giving me injections! Give me a lighter!”

A psychiatrist – who spoke to TheCable – said he would be fine; that he was in shock, and would get out of it.

However, he added that Tom needed a therapy to help him overcame it quickly.

So many Nyanya residents will be needing therapy after all the trauma.