Suleja bomb blast: Death toll increases

BY WOLE MOSADOMI, MINNA
One of the six people that suffered various degrees of fracture at Suleja bomb blast on Thursday is dead while the other five are receiving treatment at the IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna.

The deceased, 15, was a student of Government Secondary School, Suleja, venue of the rally.

He gave up the ghost while being taken to the IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna for treatment.

One of the victims, Ahmed Bello said he was in the process of making transport arrangement for supporters from Powa on the return journey back home when the bomb went off. He was kicked down, fracturing his right foot.

Another victim, Haruna Ibrahim from Gusoro had a fracture on his left foot.

His brother, Sahabi Yakubu who spoke on his behalf said he was about leaving the venue of the rally when the bomb exploded.

In the case of Ahmadu Babangida, he had left the rally only to be persuaded by his friends to return there.

Babangida who spoke in Hausa said, “I had already left the field for home but a friend called me back and while searching for him, the bomb exploded and knocked me down”.

A middle aged man, Mohammed Baba from Suleja said he was on “duty” at the rally when the blast occurred.
Surrounded by wife, children and relatives who were sobbing close to his bed because of the severe degree of his injury, Mohammed was said to have been trapped on his way out of the venue after the bomb exploded.

His two legs and one of his hands were severely fractured.

The youngest of the victims in hospital in Minna is Idris Sani who is 14 years old.

He is a student of an Arabic School in Suleja but sneaked out of the school for the rally but ended up being trapped.

The state governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu who has personally visited the victims in their various wards promised that the state government would pick the bills incurred on them.

Meanwhile, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) yesterday in Minna condemned the arrest by the police of its candidate for the state House of Assembly in the April polls, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi Lado in connection with the bomb blast.

Chairman of the party in the state, Alhaji Umar Shuaibu told journalists that though the party was not sure whether the police invitation was in connection with the bomb blast, it would not tolerate a situation where any of his members would be used as scape goat.

Abubakar Lado was invited by the police on Thursday shortly after the bomb blast and has not been released as at going to press.

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