20 Doctors Defy Strike For Kaduna Blast Victims , As Calm Returns As Government Lifts 24-hr Curfew

Odogwuemekaodogwu.blogspot.com reports that about  20 doctors in Kaduna, on Thursday, saw reason and defied their ongoing nationwide strike to attend to the victims of the twin bomb blasts.

The development came on the heels of remarks by the Kaduna State Commissioner for Information, Ben Bako, that five additional victims of the blast had died, while 37 injured patients are receiving treatment at Army Reference Hospital.

This brought the official death toll to 44, as the Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Shehu Umar, said 25 persons died in the first blast, 14 in the second, making the total figure to be 39.

According to him, “for now, we have recorded 25 dead bodies. People have just closed from the Ramadan Tsafir 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 the arms.”

Bako, on his part, said “we have 37 victims currently receiving treatment in both the 44 Army Reference Hospital and the Yusuf Dantsoho General Hospital, Tudun-Wada, also in Kaduna.”

Meanwhile, calm has returned to Kaduna and environs, following the commotion that ensued as a result of the assassination attempt on the life of General Muhammadu Buhari and leader of the Tijjaniya Islamic sect in Nigeria, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi.

The state government had, after a security meeting at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna, lifted the curfew imposed on the state capital and called on the people of Kaduna to remain peaceful and law abiding.

Speaking on Thursday in Kaduna, Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero said “it is a very sad incident. Whoever is behind this knows that he has no fear of God. This is very unfortunate, it is not supposed to be.

“Kaduna people have been very vigilant, but unfortunately, because of the crowded town we had yesterday (Wednesday), this thing happened. But we know that by the grace of God, this thing will never happen again. 

“We will continue to do our best and we will continue to pray to God Almighty. We also visited the scenes of the blast. The one that is very major is that of Kawo, because in it, they used a vehicle. The other at Alkali Road was a suicide bomber and it was an individual.”

He said he had also visited General Buhari, adding that “I spoke to him yesterday (Wednesday). At the security council meeting, we decided to go and see him, so we went to greet him at home. I also called Sheik Dahiru Bauchi and as of that time, he was on his way to Saudi Arabia. He also made announcement that he was healthy and unhurt.”

Buhari had, however, cancelled his trip to Daura, Katsina State, where he intended to celebrate the forthcoming Sallah and had continued to welcome visitors who besieged his residence to commiserate with him.

Also, Sheihk Bauchi, according to family sources, was immediately flown to Saudi Arabia, where he would remain for some time and pray against evil forces.

Nigerian  Tribune