58 persons died when a suicide bomber killed 36 persons in Kaduna even as 22 others lost their lives in Makurdi as a church building collapsed on worshippers during Easter vigil mass.
The tragedy in Kaduna occurred, yesterday, when a car loaded with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded with a suicide bomber at the busy Sardauna Crescent Junction, Kaduna killing not less than 20 people on the spot. 16 others were later confirmed dead in several hospitals
The explosion dug a crater about two feet deep, part of charred remains of the car engine, said to be a Honda Accord 2003(EOD) model with number plate BB111DKA, was seen about 500 metres from the point of the explosion which occured directly opposite Fina White Hotel.
It was estimated that at least 60 buildings within 500 metres radius of the blast may need to be rebuilt. Eight cars and scores of commercial motorcycles were either burnt or severely damaged.
The smell of burnt human flesh still filled the air, while officials of the Red Cross, and Federal Road Safety Corps picked up human remains into body bags. Human blood mixed with engine oil was noticed on the tarred road. It was a gory spectacle. But it could have been worse had the intended target been hit – a church with thousands of worshippers.
Mr Francis Markus, a security man attached to 1st ECWA Church, Gwari Road narrated how he innocently warded off the bomber with a few police men when he spoke to newsmen close to the Church yesterday.
He said: “It was about 10 am when I saw a man coming to this street, and said he wanted to pass. I told him that he cannot pass because the church service was going on, we don’t normally allow cars to pass when service is going on because of the insecurity in the area. I advised him to pass after the church service. He insisted that he was going to his house. Then I said which of the houses are you talking about? He pointed at that upstairs building (pointing at one storey house painted in green on the street).
And I know so many people in the house, but for him and the car, I didn’t recognize his face because I work here every Sunday. I didn’t recognize his face. I stopped him from passing through the street. But he pointed at another house, saying that, that was where he wanted to go. He came through Arochukwu Road at about 9.45am. He drove in a Honda Accord ash-coloured car.
I told him that he cannot pass through here. He accused me of violating his rights for not allowing him to go to his house. I asked him to wait till after church service before he could pass, but he insisted that he must pass. We dragged this for some minutes. He entered the car and reversed and drove towards me. Yet I stood my ground and held the iron which we used for the road block. He hit the iron against me.
“Luckily enough, one of my church members came with his bike, parked and intervened. At this point we noticed that the man was having an army uniform on the back seat of his car, and an army cap by the rear wind screen. Then I told him that as an Army officer for him to behave that way, ‘you are a disgrace to the Army. You are misbehaving.
“As we were talking, the police men that were posted to the church saw what was happening between me and the man. They walked over and helped me to drive the man away. But within three to five minutes, we heard the explosion across the road, along Junction Road. It was the same car that came here.”