The police has arrested four people in connection with yesterday
bomb blast in Bauchi State. Read their statement below.
The Bauchi State Police Command, however, stated that seven
people died in the explosions, declaring that four suspects were arrested by
the police. According to him, there were only three ATMs in the town, a
situation he said, made the banks busy with customers who thronged the town
from surrounding towns like Misau, Shira, Giade and even Potiskum in Yobe State
to transact various businesses.He added that most of the affected people were
civil servants on the payroll of the Bauchi State government who were at the
scene to collect their salary, adding that the devices were planted on the bank
premises.“There are only three ATMs in three banks that are working in the
whole of Azare, so many customers usually gather there,” the source
said.Another source, who also would not want to be named, stated that two men
walked up to the ATM, pretending to be there to withdraw money and shortly
after, dropped the explosives in polythene bags and left the scene.He added as
people were rushing to the scene of the explosion after the first blast went
off, the second occurred and caught people unawares. He said the death toll
might not have been high had it not been that people rushed to the scene after
the first explosion.
“As it exploded, killing many people on the ATM, another one
exploded as people were running to the scene,” he said. Confirming the blast to
Saturday Tribune in a telephone chat, the lawmaker representing Azare/Madagali
state constituency in the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Honorable Baba
Abubakar Suleiman, stated that 14 people died in the incident. According to the
lawmaker, who is the Minority Leader in the assembly, 23 people sustained
varying degrees of injuries in the attack, lamenting that, that was the second
time bomb explosions occurred in the town, which is the second largest in the
state.Suleiman stated that Friday’s blasts were very saddening and traumatic,
considering the fact that people were yet to recover from the first one, which
occurred about two weeks ago in the town.He called on Nigerians to fervently engage
in prayers for God’s intervention, declaring that as it is now, anything could
happen anywhere in the country, which could affect anyone.“Indeed, this one is
very sad and traumatic. This is the second time within a month that we are
experiencing this in Azare. Today’s (Friday’s) explosions came at a time people
were yet to recover from the first attack,” the lawmaker said.According to a statement made available to the Saturday
Tribune by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, on Friday
in Bauchi, the bomb attacks were suspected to be carried out by a female
suicide bomber.He added that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Shehu Lawal,
had visited the scene to have an on-the-spot assessment of the explosions as
well as commiserate with the victims.
“On the 7/11/2014 at about 10:05hrs, there was a bomb
explosion suspected to be carried out by a female suicide bomber at a bank’s
premises in Azare Town, Bauchi State.“Scene of incident was visited by the
Commissioner of Police for on-the-spot assessment and to commiserate with
victims.“So far, seven persons were confirmed dead while 10 others who
sustained various degrees of injuries have been rushed to Federal Medical
Centre, Azare, for medical attention out of which five were treated and
discharged,” the police spokesman stated.According to him, the entire
surroundings had been cordoned off by Police explosive ordinance disposal
unit.Mohammed, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said that four suspects
were arrested in connection with the explosions, adding that they were
currently assisting the police with useful information which could aid police
investigation.
The lawmaker called for reinforcement of security in the
commercial town, lamenting that Azare used to be secure when a particular
Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was in charge at the divisional police
headquarter in the town before he was transferred to Alkaleri.Meanwhile, the
state police command stated that seven people died in the explosions, which it
said occurred at about 10:05 am, while 10 others were injured.
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