By Chuks Ehirim
Even as he lay on his hospital bed, with pains all over his bandaged body at the Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja, Sampson Odoh, a middle-aged man from Nsukka, Enugu State, was concerned with peace in Nigeria.
Odoh, who is a trader at the Wuse Market, Abuja, is one of the survivors of last Monday’s terrorist attack on Nyanya Motor Park where scores of people died and several others sustained various degrees of injuries. Official statement put the causality figure at 75, but witnesses said it was well beyond 100.
The victim, who was at the accident ward last Wednesday when TheNiche visited, was at pains that Nigeria is under siege. He lamented that what used to sound like fiery tale in the country has now become a reality.
“We used to watch this type of thing in films in those days. It is unfortunate that our country is being confronted by terrorism today,” he said.
He, however, prayed that such dastardly act of terrorists should not continue in Nigeria.
“I am appealing to government to do everything possible to ensure that this terrorism is checkmated. It is not good for this country. I wish no Nigerian will be victim to it again,” said Odoh who explained to our reporter that he was at the Nyanya Motor Park that morning to board a bus to Wuse when calamity struck, leaving him with injuries.
He also prayed for government assistance to the victims, most of who, he said, may not be in a position to foot their hospital bills.
In the same ward with Odoh were other survivors such as Ibrahim, who was at the park loading bus when the blast took place. He told TheNiche that he lost two of his friends in the bombing.
In another ward, John Atani, a computer operator who hails from Benue State, could still not comprehend the rationale behind the action of the terrorists. He told our correspondent, that at the Nyanya Park that faithful Monday morning, he was on queue to purchase his ticket to board a bus for the city when he heard the blast and lost consciousness, only to find himself at the hospital.
But their worries had been taken care of a day earlier by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bala Mohammed, who had to cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia, to commiserate with residents of Abuja over the incident.
Addressing journalists at the airport as he stepped out of the arrival hall, Bala said the sanctity of human life, which his religion upholds, informed his decision to cancel the ‘Ibada’ he had set out to accomplish with his creator in the holy land.
He said those who were murdered by the explosion did not deserve to be subjected to that kind of death they suffered.
From the airport the Minister proceeded to the site of the explosion where he described the incident as wanton and reckless, promising a more secure Territory.
Bala said the Administration will upgrade the parks to accommodate bomb detecting facilities to control the activities of evil-minded persons.
At the Asokoro General Hospital, the minister directed that all survivors should be served meals at government’s expense and also assured that their medical bills will be picked by his ministry.
He enjoined residents of the city not to despair, as the collective effort of all will conquer the few evil elements.