Former Nigerian leader, General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd), Wednesday, said he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt on his life after he was targeted by suicide bombers in Kawo area of Kaduna.
In a statement, said: “I am personally involved in a clearly targeted bomb attack today at about 2:30pm on my way to Daura.“The unfortunate event, clearly an assassination attempt, came from a fast moving vehicle that made many attempts to overtake my security car, but was blocked by escort vehicle.
“We reached the market area of Kawo where he took advantage of our slowing down and attempted to ram my car and instantly detonated the bomb which destroyed all the three cars in our convoy.
“Unfortunately, when I came out of my vehicle, I saw many dead bodies littered around. They were innocent people going about their daily business who became victims of mass murder.
“Thank God for His mercy, I came out unhurt, but with three of my security staff sustaining minor injuries. They have since been treated in hospital and discharged”, he said.
Naijalog gathered that scores of people were killed in the second bomb blast near a bridge in Kawo. Numerous people, including a security aide to Mr. Buhari and two others in the ex-general’s convoy, sustained varying degrees of injury.
A top security source disclosed that the Kawo bus stop explosion happened as Mr. Buhari’s convoy was passing through the area. He said the ex-head of state, who is a top official of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) as well as a staunch critic of President Goodluck Jonathan, was returning from a funeral in Zaria at the time of the explosion.
No group has claimed responsibility for the high-profile attack, but a security operative in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, said the explosions were likely the handiwork of the extremist Islamist group, Boko Haram.