A suicide bomber yesterday disguised as a fresh student of the Kano School of Hygiene, along Sabuwar-Kofa, Kano State, had attempted to blow up the school.
The bomber, according to eye-witnesses, drove into the premises of the school, parked his car and pretended to make enquiries about the registration process.
Shortly after alighting from the vehicle, the bomb inside the car exploded, killing 8 persons and injuring over 20 others. LEADERSHIP learnt that five of the dead were students of the school.
According to a guard at the school who witnessed the incident, the school had a busy week because of the newly admitted students that were registering for their first session in the school. The blast occurred as the students were struggling to meet a deadline to register for the new academic session.
“The bomber came in blue traditional attire; he drove in and asked about a department, so we all assumed he is a fresh student. He was even holding some school registration papers with him.
“We allowed him in and I told him where to park because we were having parking space problem because of the fresh students around.
“So it was strange when he went the other way, so I followed him and instructed he park at the appropriate place, we argued for a while before he agreed to park where he was instructed to.
“A few minutes after he parked the car, the bomb went off, by that time we had seen his face and could identify him. So when he hurried to the gate, we ran after him and pinned him down, he was also carrying some devices on him but we were brave enough to take him down,” the guard who craved anonymity said.
LEADERSHIP learnt that the bomber was nearly lynched by some irate students, but some teachers and school officials rescued him and took him away and locked him up before police operatives came and whisked him away.
An eyewitness, who is also a student, told our reporter that there was a white vehicle parked in the midst of the school for hours and it was the same vehicle that exploded and killed students.
He said he heard loud explosion while he was standing with colleagues at the other end, adding that he later saw pieces of human parts scattered all over the place.
Nura Ado Bello who said to be an in-law to the provost of the school, said he was at the school to see the provost and get some financial support.
Nura, whom our reporter met at Murtala Muhammad Hospital and who sustained burn injuries, told LEADERSHIP that he just heard a loud explosion and lost consciousness, saying he only found himself with burn injuries at hospital.
Another victim at the emergency ward of the same hospital, Abdulrazak Allai Rano of Ringim town in Jigawa state said he was at the school to be screened and collect admission letter which he had been following for the past four weeks.
Abdulrazak, who sustained various degrees of burn injuries, said he lost all his original school documents that he was holding before the blast.
Our reporter saw a young student in his school uniform who lost concioussness and hours after the blast could not regain his consciousness. He was seen making some moves with his two hands as if he was trying to prevent something from touching his face.
LEADERSHIP also talked to the provost of the school, Malam Ado Bello who said that as he parked his vehicle under the shed meant for him and was about to come out of the vehicle, he heard a loud explosion a few metres from his position.
“I was lucky to have survived the incidence”, said the provost of the school.
He added that in just few moments all one could see were dead bodies lying down, with several other students injured and helpless.
Kano State police command commissioner of police, Mr Aderenle Shinaba confirmed the attack and the number of casualties. He said the area had been cordoned off and emergency services were continuing to take the injured to hospital.
The federal government also confirmed the attack in Kano but noted that the bomb was planted within the school compound.
Coordinator of the National Briefing Centre on the efforts to end insurgency and bring back the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, Mr Mike Omeri who confirmed the incident said the explosion rocked the Kano Municipal City area of Sabo Kafar at 2.05pm.
Omeri who reacted to a question on the continued detention of the arrested 486 northern indigenes in Abia said findings from the investigation on the suspected travellers would shock most Nigerians.
According to him, Nigerians who call on security operatives to release the suspects should exercise restraint, saying that the security agencies should be allowed to do their job.
Omeri also confirmed the arrest of kidnappers who had been making life unbearable for Abuja residents. He called on the members of the public, particularly young girls to take precautionary measures towards averting being kidnapped as kidnappers are known to target female folks more than the males.
Omeri revealed that over the weekend, security operatives killed a notorious terrorist, Mallam Husaini, who he said, led a terrorist cell billed to operate in Plateau state in an encounter between his group and a military convoy along Jos – Bauchi high way. Husaini was said to have led the attack on Police Anti-Robbery squad in Abuja in November, 2012 and a military convoy along the Lokoja – Kaduna highway where two soldiers were killed in January, 2013.
STF shot 3 youth at birthday party in Jos
Three youths have been allegedly murdered by members of the Special Task Force, STF, on Jos crisis while many others were injured when the STF men opened fire on youths celebrating a birthday Party at Joenice Bar at Nyango Gel, Bukuru low-cost area of Jos the Plateau State capital late Sunday night.
LEADERSHIP gathered that an argument had ensued at the party venue prompting the owner of the joint to alert members of the STF around the locality.
A source who was at the scene of the event who did not want his name in print told our reporter that immediately the STF members got to the scene, they started shooting at the youths killing three persons instantly.
Others who sustained various degrees of injuries were in various hospitals receiving treatments, he added.
According to the source “when the soldiers got to the venue” the STF members just opened fire on us, I was lucky to have escaped.
The father of one of the deceased Timshak Miri, Mr Nantel Miri who spoke to our reporter in tears at his residence at Zawan said he could not believe that members of the Special Task Force saddled with the responsibility of protecting citizens would open fire on innocent teenagers.
Nantel Miri called for Justice and appealed to the Commander of the STF to ensure that the soldiers who carried out the acts were brought to book.
Also speaking to our reporter, the sister of one of the youths killed, Fecit Miri cried out to the Federal Government, and relevant authorities and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians to ensure that this act carried out on innocent youths would not go unpunished.
A residence of the Bukuru low-coast Rintim described the incident that happen at the bar as pathetic, calling on the Chief of Army staff and commander of the STF to investigate the matter and ensure that the culprits were brought to book.
Efforts to reach the spokesman of the Special Task Force, Captain Iweha, before sending this report was abortive as he was not picking his calls.
Besides, the Police Public Relations Officer PPRO, Abuh Emmanuel said they had not received an Official report from the Divisional Police officer in Bukuru , but they would investigate and get to the root of the matter.
He called on the parents of dead to remain calm as they would investigate and ensure that perpetrators were brought to book.
4 persons killed in Kaduna villages
A couple was on Sunday night killed in Rikawan village area of Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State by unknown gunmen.
This is just as another man who travelled to his farm located at Fadan- Karshi in Sanga Local government Area of Kaduna State in the early hours of Saturday, Dauda Maidawa and his wife Alheri have been discovered dead.
Our correspondent gathered that the Rikarwan couple, named Ayuba Kure and Sarah were killed in their house when gunmen attacked the community, injuring four persons.
A resident said: “The gunmen came on Sunday night with dangerous weapons, killed the couple and injured four others, adding, “You know our communities are isolated and no one knows the mission of the gunmen.”
A cousin to the Karshi victims, John Joseph who confirmed the incident, said the matter was reported to the DPO at Fadan-Karshi Police Station who then mobilized for a search that led to the discovery of the remains of his brother.
Kaduna State Police Command spokesman, Aminu Lawan could not respond to calls as at the time of filing this report.
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