The Police Command in Plateau has confirmed 46 persons dead in the twin bomb blasts that hit the popular Jos terminus market on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr Chris Olakpe, the Commissioner of Police, who addressed newsmen on the incident, said that the blast also injured 45 people.
According to him, the first bomber came in a Fiat bus and parked at the market’s central business area.
“The second blast, which was concealed in a Siena bus, happened 100 metres away from the first one,’’ he said.
Olakpe said that the casualty figures were collated after visits to Plateau Specialist Hospital and Bingham Hospital, Jos.
“Like I told you, there should be more because we have not gone to the new and old Jos University Teaching Hospitals,’’ he further explained.
The police commissioner said that a comprehensive details of casualties could be determined after the security teams had visited the two health establishments.
Olapke said that the market had been cordoned off and urged members of the public to steer away from the affected place in their own interest.
“Men of our anti-bomb unit will comb the market before it is declared safe for business activities to continue,” he said.
He advised members of the public to always avoid the temptation of rushing to bomb scenes, adding that people around such scenes should quickly lie down for “at least 30 minutes” before scurrying to safety.
The police chief advised Nigerians to be security conscious in every environment they found themselves.
“We also expect people to promptly report any suspicious character to the security agencies.
Meanwhile, Bishop Ignatius Kaigama, President, Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, has described the Jos bomb blast as retrogressive and set back to the peace efforts in Plateau.
“Just two weeks ago, the Catholic Church launched its Cathedral and Muslim leaders were not only there, but actually made donations.
“Because of the solidarity and the oneness that characterised the event we concluded that peace had finally returned to Jos.
“So, this news is very disturbing, very retrogressive and quite sad.
“I only learnt about it when some priests, who were with me earlier, returned to the premises and said that they could not go back to their destinations because there were bombs in the market.”
Kaigama advised Nigerians to be prayerful, and declared that the attacks would soon end.