For those familiar with the activities of the Boko Haram, the twin blasts of Wednesday, July 23, 2014, could certainly not have come as a surprise. If anything, to this set of people, including this writer, the blasts were long foretold.
And at the last count, a total of 110 persons have so far died, following the blasts. But officials put the figure at 44, by last Thursday, when additional five persons, were confirmed dead, from among those earlier rushed to the hospital.
The devil, gave the first sign of their return to Kaduna on Tuesday, July 1, 2014, when they planted a bomb close to the home of the renowned Islamic scholar, Sheik Dahiru Usman Bauchi, the man whom but for providence, would have become history by last Wednesday. Though the July 1, bomb went off, it certainly may have missed its target, as no one died in the incident. But two persons were injured.
From that day, up till last Wednesday, Kaduna also recorded killings that bore the imprints of terrorists. But findings indicate that security operatives thought otherwise.
Unlike the attempted attack on Sheik Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, two years ago, where a Good Samaritan from the security circle, was alleged to have informed him of an impending attack, about six hours before the failed bid, Sheik Bauchi, if anything had probably no idea that he was already marked. At least, he is yet to say so.
However, he has accused government of being behind the activities of Boko Haram, claiming that that explains why government does not appear to be in a hurry to end it.
Speaking on Voice of America, VOA, Hausa Service, monitored in Kaduna yesterday, Sheik Bauchi said: “Government officials are behind Boko Haram, there is no doubt about it and that is why it refuses to end the insurgency. I have no doubt that there is a strong hidden agenda in the whole thing,” the Islamic scholar, said.
But like Gumi, Bauchi too had come very hard on the activities of Boko Haram, in recent times. And just like the terrorists attempted attacking Gumi, on the day he was to round off his Tafsir-Qur’anic commentary and interpretation during Ramadan, for daring to take on them two years ago, Bauchi too was ambushed, shortly after rounding off this year’s Tafsir.
While the bomb meant for Gumi, went off, not too far from his residence, just before he set out for the day, killing only two boys carrying the bomb, that of Bauchi, went off minutes after he walked past the scene of the blast.
The only difference being that Gumi was nowhere near the Presidential Villa, before his attack. But Bauchi had participated in the breaking of fast with President Goodluck Jonathan, before last Wednesday’s twin blasts, in Kaduna.
The first blast
The first blast, last Wednesday, according to Sunday Sun’s findings, went off at exactly 12.45pm. And from all indications, Sheik Bauchi was clearly the target of the blast. His Tafsir, which usually holds at the popular Murtala Square, remains one that attracts the highest number of participants in Kaduna metropolis.
Apparently sensing that it would be extremely difficult to hit him at the venue of the event, because of both the conventional and local security around him, the suicide bomber was said to have laid ambush for the Sheik on Alkali Road, the Sheik’s preferred route, to and from the venue of the Tafsir, and the road where thousands of Muslims, who attended the Tafsir, had parked their vehicles.
Sunday Sun further gathered that as soon as the suicide bomber sighted Sheik Bauchi’s car, he attempted moving close, since it was moving at a slow pace, but he was blocked, and in the process, the explosive device was said to have fallen off his hand. But he was said to have picked it up again, and in the process detonated it, in the midst of the crowd.
An eyewitness told Sunday Sun that around 12.30 pm, “we just heard a loud noise, it happened where many cars were parked, and we saw dead bodies being flung in different directions. Many spots along the road, where the bomb blast occurred were soaked with blood. This was the time people were returning from Tafsir lecture, which was held at Murtala Square.”
While carrying out an on-the-spot assessment of the area, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Shehu Umar, gave 25 as the figure of those that had so far died, at the time of his visit. But Mustapha Sani, a volunteer with Sheik Bauchi’s mosque, about the same time, told Sunday Sun that 32 persons had been confirmed dead. Sani was among those evacuating the dead bodies.
Speaking further on the incident, Kaduna State Police Commissioner said: “for now, we have recorded 25 dead bodies. People have just closed from the Ramadan Tafsir, led by Sheik Dahiru Bauchi, and we provided enough security at Murtala Square, the venue of the Tafsir. But the bomb was planted far away from the venue, to target him through the route he was taking to go home. We are doing our best to safeguard the country, so we are appealing to the perpetrators to lay down arms and embrace peace,” he added.
Most of the dead persons and injured ones, according to eyewitnesses were followers of the Islamic scholar, who had accompanied him to and from the preaching ground.
Although the blast occurred minutes after he passed the scene of the blast, Sunday Sun gathered that there were stains of blood on his clothes and the clothes of those that were with him. The blood, were those of the bodies of the victims, killed in the crowd.
Sunday Sun further gathered that the Sheik, had while rounding the Tafsir for the year, harped on the need for peaceful co-existence among Nigerians, during and after the month of Ramadan, insisting that “your good deed should not end with Ramadan but the beginning of doing more good.”
The second blast
Like the first blast, the second blast, which occurred barely two hours after the first one, also missed its target Muhammadu, by whiskers.
Sunday Sun gathered that the former Head of State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), was on his way to Daura, in Katsina State, ahead of the Sallah festivity when the blast occurred around Kawo area of the metropolis.
At first, the Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Shehu Umar, who also confirmed the incident, said 14 bodies were recovered from the scene too but he was evasive on the identity of the “prominent dignitary, who managed to escape the blast.” It did not take long before Buhari came out to not only confirm he was the person, but went ahead to insist that it was indeed, an assassination attempt on his life.
In a statement personally signed by the 2011 Presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, hours after the blast last Wednesday, Buhari insisted that the vehicle carrying the explosives, made several unsuccessful attempts to overtake his car, but was blocked by the security aides attached to him.
He, however, said by the time they got to Kawo market, they were forced to slow down and the devil took advantage of the slow pace at which his (Buhari) convoy was moving, and attempted to ram into his car, and in the process, the explosives were detonated and destroyed all his cars.
Hear him: “I am personally involved in a clearly targeted bomb attack today (Wednesday, July 23, 2014), at about 2.30pm on my way to Daura. The unfortunate event, clearly an assassination attempt came from a fast moving vehicle that made many attempts to overtake my security car, but was blocked by escort vehicle.
“We reached the market area of Kawo, where he took advantage of our slowing down and attempted to ram my car and instantly detonated the bomb which destroyed all the three cars in our convoy.
“Unfortunately, when I came out of my vehicle, I saw many dead bodies littered around. They were innocent people going about their daily business, who became victims of mass murder,” the statement, reads in part.
Yero reacts
Apparently learning from past experiences, Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State, wasted no time in slamming a 24 hour curfew on the metropolis, to prevent the situation from degenerating into another orgy of blood-letting.
Before the curfew was imposed, some angry youths, had begun throwing stones at soldiers around Kawo area, preparatory for a showdown with security operatives in the state.
But Yero saved the day with his deft move.
Speaking through his spokesman, Ahmed Maiyaki, the governor said, “following the unfortunate situation, a 24-hour curfew has been imposed on Kaduna metropolis with immediate effect, to enable security agencies restore normalcy.
“Enemies of peace have visited us with their ungodly venom of wanton destruction of human lives. This blast, coming in the Holy month of Ramadan is a clear indication that those behind the act have no iota of fear of God as they have none for the sanctity of human life,” the governor declared.
Although, the curfew did not last for more than 24 hours, as it was lifted around 4pm of the following day, Sunday Sun can authoritatively reveal that it helped in no small way in preventing the situation from degenerating into another bloody clash between the angry youth and the security operatives on one hand, and between Muslims and Christians, on the other hand.
With last Wednesday’s twin blasts, it is obvious that dark days are here gain in Kaduna, and it is a wake up call for everyone in Kaduna to put on their thinking caps and be more vigilant once more.