Abuja Blast Victims Recount Ordeal

As security situation in the country worsens, Nigerians should be more security conscious and vigilant.

Vicitms of the recent bombing in Abuja, as well as eyewitnesses recount their ordeal and shock at the bombing of the city’s busiest shopping mall, EMAB Plaza, located close to Banex Plaza in the Federal Capital Territory.

According to a victim of the explosion, the bomber faked being drunk as a strategy to carry out his evil act.

Donald Chikason who is now receiving treatment at the Maitama General Hospital, explained that the bomber planted the bomb in his car before approaching the gate.

Chikason, a staff of Skye Bank opposite the plaza said “I went out to get corn for myself, so on my way coming out, I saw an Hausa man, he wanted to get into the plaza, but the security man stopped him and asked the bomber to follow the procedure by going through the right gate.

“The man started arguing, behaving as if he was drunk. At this point, the security men then asked him to park the car outside the plaza. So I decided to leave the place. Immediately I turned towards my direction, I heard an explosion and the next thing, I saw myself in the hospital,” the victim told Thisday.

A taxi driver, who identified himself as Malachy Odo, said he was caught up in the midst of the ravaging fire after the bomb exploded at the car park.

“I had arrived at the plaza in my cab minutes earlier. After the last passenger alighted from the cab, I was reversing when I heard the explosion. My car went up in flames, and I struggled to pass through the window and in the process my left hand caught fire. As I was running for my dear life, broken glasses pierced my feet. I was later rushed by rescuers to Maitama General Hospital,” Odo told Vanguard.

Sulieman Lukman Ademola also gave account of what happened at the scene: “I saw the car, the security men were arguing with the driver who was saying ‘I want to follow here’, but they told him not to follow there. The man then bent down and put his head inside the car, and the next thing was an explosion that threw me down and I became unconscious. The explosion also burnt my back. When I regained consciousness and looked around, I saw some people’s heads and legs. It was then I started begging people to take me to the hospital.”

21 People had earlier been confirmed dead from the blast, but the death toll has now increased to 22 as another victim, a Senegalese, died on Wednesday night.

The Public Relations Officer, National Hospital, Abuja, Dr. Tayo Haastrup confirmed the death of the Senegalese to journalists.

According to Haastrup, the hospital tried contacting the Senegalese Embassy, while the victim, a male, was receiving treatment but could not get through; he later died as a result of the severe burns he sustained from the bomb explosion.