Following Thursday’s explosion at New Road Luxury Park, Sabon Gari, Kano, northwest Nigeria, management of the Luxury Terminal, this evening called for increased security.
Chief Sunday Odum, Vice-Chairman of the Park’s Task Force demanded for the presence of military personnel at the Luxury Terminal, “because in a critical situation, the police may retreat, but the military would explore all the tactics to confront the enemy.
“It is regrettable that we have the presence of security in this park only when there is a problem. Look at what happened yesterday, the bombs were loaded inside two luxury buses owned by God Bless Ezenwata and Gobison Motors and were timed to explode at 9 p.m. and 12 midnight respectively.”
Odum noted that because of security lapses at the park, no one could detect when the bombs were brought in and left as abandoned load at the back of the luxury buses with other luggage.
“The one exploded was concealed in a 7-UP container and it was by the grace of God that it was discovered. Actually the bombs were three. Two were detonated by the anti-bomb squad. One of them, concealed in a Turkey vegetable oil gallon and hidden inside a small travel bag timed to explode at 9 p.m., while the other was concealed in a brown onion sack timed to explode at 12 midnight; but by the grace of God, their plans did not work.”
Odum, who is also the manager of Chukwujekwu Motors, said the New Road Park has recorded about hundred per cent passenger influx.
“Ordinarily, we use to have 20 to 25 buses moving out of the park on daily basis, but since this Boko Haram threat, it has doubled to 40 to 45 buses on daily basis; and all the passengers head to the Eastern route via Okene, Igala, Otukpo, Enugu, Onitsha, Agbor, Owerri, Umuahia, Aba and Port Harcourt.
“In fact, I must tell you that the luxury bus companies have to bring most of the buses plying Lagos route to Kano route because this is where the passengers are now. And this will confirm the fact that Southerners are leaving Kano and the majority of our customers are mostly women and children,” he said.
Mrs. Obiageli Onwumere from Ideato South said the family in Kano decided to relocate to Imo state, her home state, ”until everything subsides.”
Onwumere is a teacher at a private school located within Sabon Gari and she noted that since the Boko Haram attacks started in Kano, privates schools have been closed.
“It has been 22 years since I got married to my husband who is a businessman here. But I want to tell you that the anxiety is high. We just have to leave and stay alive in our home town until the government solves all these security problems.
“I am not unaware of the fact that the governor of my state, Chief Rochas Okorocha was in Kano a few days ago. People have been misquoting him that he said that we should stay back. I was there and His Excellency told us that anybody who wants to leave should leave and those who want to stay should stay, that the Federal Government is making serious plans to calm the situation.
“But my brother, there is an Igbo adage that says that ‘a tree that its branches are about to chop off stands still, but a human being whose hands are about to cut off must, at least, run. As we are sitting here in the park, we are waiting for my husband to get our remaining load and children.”
Another lady, Mrs. Edith Okwolisa from Ihiala in Anambra state said her family has no choice but to leave Kano for good.
“As you can see, the situation is so tense that no one knows what will happen next. I and my husband are moving with all our families and property. The problem is still going on and we do not have the intention of returning to Kano again. We are not coming back,” she said.
The Area Manager of God Bless Ezenwata Motors, High Chief Sunny Philips Njikonye whose bus was shattered by last Thursday’s explosion at the New Road Luxury Park recalled how the incident almost affected the trip by the bus which had already been booked to ply the East.
According to him, five windscreen on the conductor’s side were damaged by the blast and seven passengers were wounded.
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