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Nyanya Blasts, Agonies Of Checkpoints And A Faceless Battle

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On May 1, 2014, another bomb was detonated at the scene close to where about a hundred people were killed 17 days before. The state of insecurity has been responsible for the numerous military checkpoints witnessed at most gateways into the Federal Capital Territory, causing the people untold hardship. Olusegun Olufemi, CHIKA OKEKE and Michael Oche write on how life has been for commuters who pass through the three major gateways into the FCT 

Barely 17 days after Nyanya, a suburb of Abuja, was robbed of its peace by heartless and cowardice bombers believed to be members of Boko Haram sect, yet another bomb was let off at the same place but this time at the opposite site of the first bombing.

The casualty figure from the second Nyanya bomb blast is yet to be ascertained as at press time, as some put it at 30, while yet others put it at 40. But one thing remains certain about the second explosion, the various military checkpoints, where vehicles spend hours on the road, can become another dangerous spots where innocent citizens’ lives can become a gamble tool.

But according to police force public relations officer, Frank Mba, a chief superintendent of police, on Friday, 19 people were killed, while 66 were receiving treatment for various degrees of injuries.

As at 5:00pm on May 1, 2014, the Abuja-Keffi Expressway had become very busy as usual, as holiday fun-seekers who lived along the axis were returning home after the day’s fun, while those who went to the May Day celebrations at the Eagle Square in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were heading home to relax after the day’s rigour.

But some were not able to make it home as the terrorists’ bomb blast cut short their expectations. Bodies of dead victims of the blast littered the expressway, while those still alive wreath in pains from the debris of the explosion.

The “Nyanya bomb blast 2” then brought to fore the real essence of the military checkpoints amid insurgency from some perceived faceless state enemies.

At the sight of the crime, a district head of the area, Haruna Shuaibu, while speaking to newsmen, questioned the importance of the military checkpoint, while adding that the long traffic gridlock created by the military checkpoint was enough reason to call for its cancellation.

According to him, these terrorists can bank on the traffic gridlock caused by the checkpoint to detonate a bomb, killing hundreds of people and causing large-scale destruction.

His cries however didn’t go unnoticed as the military the next day relaxed the tight checks placed on coming vehicles, while using their bomb detecting devices to scan vehicles as they moved alone the road. The military’s action brought much relieve to the people in the area, who had nursed the fear of another season in hell as witnessed immediately after the first Nyanya bomb blast.

In other gateways to the FCT, the stories remain different.

Riding through the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Expressway, popularly called Airport road, one would quickly notice the strategic military checkpoint close to University of Abuja permanent site, Iddo.

Driving further along the Airport road, any visitor to Abuja would also be quick to discover the long stretch of vehicles moving on a snail speed beside immigration office at Sauka. The sight of those vehicles no doubt is an indication that military personnel have mounted another checkpoint at Sauka to monitor incoming vehicles that may likely enter the city centre with explosives or other dangerous weapons.

But despite this security alertness, insurgents are still striking at the slightest opportunity.

A cross-section of residents that spoke with LEADERSHIP Sunday narrated gory tales of how they were badly maltreated by soldiers at the checkpoints.

A civil servant, Ms Lydia Okenna, who lives at Sabon-Lugbe shared a vivid experience of a middle-aged woman that boarded the same bus with her en-route Enugu to Abuja. She said, “As we were approaching the former military checkpoint at Giri before they relocated to Iddo, the driver of our vehicle was in haste and didn’t want to join the queue. So, he continued driving beside other vehicles. We warned him several times, but he refused to listen to our advice. Instantly, the soldiers caught him and directed him to park by the road while they passed other vehicles.”

Continuing, she said, “They asked him to come out of the vehicle and frog-jump. While he was frog-jumping, a middle-aged woman was busy shouting, ‘hey, the driver did not do anything, why are you (soldiers) punishing him, it’s not fair’.

“She continued raising alarm and we also warned her several times to keep quite, but she refused to listen. Suddenly, one of the soldiers asked the driver to get up and ordered the woman to replace the driver in the frog-jump exercise.

“The soldiers didn’t even care whether the woman was old or might be suffering from old age related ailments and insisted that she must do the frog-jump. She frog-jumped until she was weak and exhausted before the soldiers ordered her back to the vehicle, while the driver proceeded with the journey.

“The woman neither sneezed nor spoke to anybody until she arrived her destination. The soldiers are brutal, and because of their rigorous training, they can subject anybody to anything because they know that nobody will punish them for their mistakes,” she concluded.

While Ms Okenna’s co-passenger was subjected to frog-jump, another victim who is a driver, Mr Linus Atabor, who lives in Gwagwalada, another suburb of Abuja, was also asked to frog-jump and answer phone call at the same time.

The driver, who is in his late 30s, said he would never forget the incident in a hurry, even as he regretted that the soldiers high-handedness on Nigerians would never resolve the current security lapses.

Sharing his experience, he said, “I was coming back from Kogi State when my phone rang at Giri junction. I was speaking on phone while the soldiers were busy checking and passing other vehicles. When it got to my turn, they asked me to park by the road. That was when it dawned on me that I was not supposed to either make or receive calls at the checkpoint. But because I was engrossed in the conversation, I didn’t notice until I was asked to clear from the road.”

He added further, “One of the soldiers asked me to step out from the vehicle, which I obeyed. Though I pleaded, but my pleas fell on deaf ears. They told me to call a friend which I did. While the person was about to pick the phone, I was asked to start frog-jumping while answering the phone call at the same time.

“One of the soldiers was monitoring while the exercise lasted. It was really a bitter experience, because I was suffering from chest pain. That frog-jump alone can make someone to collapse, but do they care?” When they felt they were done with me, they asked me to enter my car and leave their presence. I will never forget that day in a hurry, because I spent money in the hospital for an illness that would have been avoided.”

Lamenting further, he said, “Despite all the tortures Nigerians go through in various checkpoints, it has not solved the security crises, because the insurgents are always at alert and are looking for every slightest opportunity to strike. Most of them even travel through the bush paths. So, who arrests them?”

After the December 2012 Christmas Day bombing in Suleja in Niger State, President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the area. Soldiers were immediately deployed to the area to restore peace and sanity. To do this, the soldiers erected checkpoints at several spots within Suleja.

The state of emergency however restored normalcy to the area as peace has since returned to Suleja which witnessed four different bomb attacks between 2011 and 2012.

At the expiration of the emergency rule, residents who hitherto complained of high-handedness of the soldiers were disappointed that the checkpoints were not dismantled immediately after the emergency rule.

Few weeks later, some of the checkpoints were dismantled, but the soldiers still kept the one in Madalla.

Residents however lament that the checkpoint in Madalla constitutes a major challenge as it builds up traffic gridlock which stretches into the busy Zuba Expressway, notorious for tankers and trailers accidents.

For instance, during the last Easter celebration, the soldiers restricted movement and ensured nobody left the town until 3:00pm. However, in the last one week, the soldiers seemed to have changed their tactics as they now go into the communities.

Last Wednesday, soldiers laid siege in Rafinsenyi community and residents were stopped from going to work as soldiers blocked the only road leading to the community and restricted their movements.

As early as 6:00am, the soldiers have barricaded the community.

It was gathered that the soldiers had information of some members of Boko Haram trying to build a cell in the area. The soldiers, who came in about 13 Toyota Hi-lux pickups, combed every part of the community including some of the bushes around the area.

Meanwhile, residents who have been apprehensive have started leaving the area for fear of being attack by Boko Haram sect.

Leadership


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