What appears a non-relenting spat of Jihadist based violence against the Nigerian social structure may have conclusively begun exhibiting symptoms of what may become of the federal government’s battle against the ongoing religious insurgency in northern Nigeria. And as the electioneering campaign of 2015 presidential exercise nears, concerned quarters within the Nigerian security force fear a new form of battle by the Jihadist group that may dwarf previous violent activities of the Islamic group.
The recent bomb attack in Kano on Monday night [July 29, 2013] at the south east dominated area of Kano metropolis in Sabon Gari – along New road by Ado Bayero Square and along Enugu road by Igbo road – depicts a new chapter in the conflict of the Jihadist group against the people of Nigeria. The Sabon Gari community had been considered a safe haven for non-indigenes of Kano and for non-Muslims resident in Kano. It had served a safe haven dating back to the early 1950s long before the coming of the Boko Haram group.
New details available indicate that the attack in Sabon Gari marks the opening of a new chapter in the Boko Haram Jihadist movement – as 247ureports.com had reported earlier in its report titled Boko Haram: “Shekau, In A Distant Country Reequipping” – which reported that the leaderships ranks of Boko Haram had relocated to a distant country long before the declaration of state of emergency in the three north eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe – and had long been engaged in a reequipping and strategizing exercise.
It is believed that the latest ramp up in the violent activities of Boko Haram augers with what appears a new reenergized machinery of the Jihadist group to seek and kill supposed enemies – Nigerians.
According to first hand witness account from sources resident along the said New road in Sabon Gari, the bomb explosion was not the type normally witnessed in Kano in typical Boko Haram operations. The explosion reverberated throughout the Sabon Gari community and nearby communities. “The sound was very loud, abnormally loud” said one of the sources who was seated less than 100meters from the center of activity at the New road bomb site.
The source reveals that at the time of the explosion, over 200 people were seated along the outdoor joint located across the street from the popular Ado Bayero Square – and stretches from 38 New road to 42 New road. He added that a Pentecostal Church by name – Salvation Church was filled with worshippers who had come for a night service. The sitting capacity was estimated at a little over 50. “All of them died instantly – even the two children of a man who were visiting from school” said the source who went on to disclose a strange occurrence immediately following the bomb attack.
He stated that normally after a boko haram staged attack – the Joint Task Force [JTF] would arrive to the scene with their guns shooting up into the air to scare away people and would-be attackers. This time around the agents of the JTF arrived quietly in Hilux pickup trucks with their headlights switched off. The military people arrived before anybody else arrived. They immediately began loading the dead bodies onto the empty Hilux trucks in a frantic manner. Four Hilux trucks were loaded with dead and half dead bodies – and they sped off at an alarming acceleration along New road towards Igbo road direction. The speed at which the trucks sped off caused four bodies to drop off from the third Hilux truck. The fourth Hilux pick truck was forced to stop to pickup the dead bodies. As the fourth truck stopped, the headlights were switched on briefly to collect the bodies. It was at this point that it was noticed that two out of the four bodies were still showing signs of life. They were moving around. “I personally counted about 35 bodies loaded on the Hilux pickup trucks”.
The worrisome aspect of the revelation by the source which has been confirmed by another source in Kano concerns what transpired immediately after the 4 Hilux vans left the scene. After the trucks sped off to unknown location, the remaining dead bodies littered on the ground were then left to be counted as the casualties of the bomb incident. “When they now counted the remaining dead bodies it was less than 15”, said the source who recounted the experience at the Kano Luxury Bus park incident were a much lower count of dead bodies were declared by the JTF.
Rain has begun to fall in Kano today – along New road – soiling the bomb scene. Body parts are seen still hanging off of the entrance of the Ado Bayero Square and on roof tops. Human toes, fingers, heads and ripped private parts are seen scattered along the road across the street in front of Ado Bayero Square. Other body parts were sighted in front of the Zuma Cool Spot.
The police in Kano State in talking to 247ureports.com through the public relations officer, Malam Magaji, stated that only “12 died in the blast, 12 suffered injuries while 19 vehicles were damaged” – that “the corpses were taken to government hospitals in the state”.
But the Kano State government has yet to peg a number to the number of causalities. The Honorable Commissioner of Information, Prof Farouk told 247ureports.com that the Kano State government is yet to ascertain the number of died people resulting from the attack on Kano.
The discrepancy between the police and the state government and alleged activities of the JTF officers has led some keen observers of Boko Haram activities to question the reasons for the discrepancy. They wonder whether it is a structured discrepancy. Some suspect that the fear of a declaration of a state of emergency by the federal government on Kano State may be responsible for what appears to be an adulteration of casualty numbers by those concerned.
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