The pain and despair of the bombing that shock the town of Nyanya 130 days ago appears still alive in the minds of the resident of Nyanya. This is judging from a recent visit by 247ureports.com to the scene of the bomb blast and the immediate community surrounding the blast area. Cursory inspection of the community shows that the sorrows and despair of the incident still lingers 130 days after the gory incident.
As a caveat, on 14 April 2014 at about 6:45am, two bombs exploded at a crowded bus station 8 km southwest of central Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, killing about 100 people and injuring over 200. Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the bombing six days after it occurred. The Jihadist terrorist group claimed responsibility through a video featuring the group’s leader Abubakar Shekau. Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche was arrested by Interpol in Sudan in May 2014 on the suspicion of being one of the masterminds behind the bombings.
As the dust settled following the capture of the supposed mastermind of the bomb incident, the federal government of Nigeria in cohorts with the federal capital territory authority announced that the Nyanya motor park where the said incident took place will be closed and converted to an a children’s amusement park. Monies were publicly earmarked and announced to the hearing of the Nyanya community. With the announcement, many of the link roads around the Nyanya park were cordoned off and manned by stern looking military men. A total five [5] military checkpoints [with roadblocks] were mounted on the remaining open roads linking to the Nyanya motor park.
The Military road blocks has in effect, according to a community chief in the area, turned into a money collection post for the military men – who have developed the ugly habit of collected N50 from each of the commercial motorcycles [okada] used in transportation. The Chief also lamented that since the arrival of the military men in their community, the level of brutality has risen to historic proportions. “Everyday they beat up our boys for no serious reasons, either because they dropped a piece of paper on the floor – or because they did not do one thing or the other“. The Chief pointed to the demeanor and the maturity level of the military personnel stationed in Nyanya as problematic and possibly dangerous. “Some of them are only after our girls and our wives rather than focusing on the work they were sent to do here. Presently, there is a rape case being handled at the Chief palace, of a girl who claims to have been forcefully taken advantage of by one of the military men who were stationed here. The girl is pregnant now.”
Another resident of Nyanya, Bawa Ibrahim whose immediate relatives were victims of the bomb blast spoke to 247ureports.com concerning the forgotten pain and despair that lingers in their community. Bawa explained that the federal government and the federal capital territory authority failed in the way the management the incident. “Since the bombing tragedy on April, we have not seen or heard from them. The motor park is empty and barricaded by their army. The army are doing anything they like without respect for the authorities of the community“, lamented Bawa who happens to be the chairman of one of the community youth groups. He called on the government to accelerate the plans it has for the motor park.
Bawa’s father’s younger brother died in the bomb blast. His wife’s sister suffered major burns. Bawa also lamented that many of the youths in the community who depend on okada to earn a living, have to face the sticky hands of the military men along the road. “What can we do against these military people with their guns and their attitude of asking for money from our youths?”
