From Edwin Olofu, Kano & Muhammad Ibrahim, Femi Oyelola in Kaduna
Rarely 24 hours after twin explosions rocked Kaduna that left many dead, a device suspected to be a bomb concealed in a refrigerator, exploded in the ancient city of Kano leaving in its wake devastation and some casualties.
Sources said a woman was killed while eight other persons sustained various degrees of injury in the blast that happened in New Road Luxurious Bus Station in Sabon Gari area of the city.
Kano state Commissioner of Police, Aderenle Shinaba, who spoke to journalists at the scene of the blast, confirmed that one person died, and that the injured persons were taken to the Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital for treatment.
“It was in the afternoon hours when we got information of what happened. We immediately mobilized our men. As you can see it yourselves, apart from the death of the innocent woman and the other eight that were injured, some items loaded in the bus got damaged”, Shinaba disclosed.
He said the bomb was concealed in a refrigerator that was among other items being conveyed in a cart, and was to be loaded into one of the luxurious buses that was waiting for passengers. However, when the refrigerator was about to be loaded onto the bus, it went off, killing one woman instantly.
He added that the bus was billed to travel to Port Harcourt before the incident occurred.
The injuries sustained, according to the police commissioner, were not life threatening as doctors were mobilized to the hospital to attend to the victims.
Mr. Shinaba said as security personnel, they had several meetings with the leadership of the motor park association concerning the safety of commuters and vendors in the park. “Only that you may be faced with the challenge of mistake sometimes. That is the way we are seeing it”, he stated.
It was also the second time the Sabon Gari park would be targeted by bombers.
A blast in March 2013 killed more than 60 people, amongst them travellers and hustlers.
Chairman of Kano state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Sharafuddeen Mashi, confirmed to our reporter that their members would attend to the victims, notwithstanding the ongoing doctors’ strike.
Our correspondent observed that small part of the luxurious bus where the refrigerator was about to be loaded was destroyed. Other items belonging to passengers were scattered in the park near the affected bus.
The leader of the Kano state chapter of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chris Azoka, called for more vigilance from vehicle owners and security agents.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the twin bomb explosions that rocked Kaduna on Wednesday, has risen to 110 after at least 13 out of the severely injured victims have died in hospitals.
Spokesman of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Abubakar Zakari Adamu, said 25 corpses were picked from the scene of the blasts at Alkali by Isa Kaita Road, while over 72 bodies were deposited in mortuaries at Saint Gerald General Hospital and 44 Military Reference Hospital.
“The staff of the agency worked throughout the night trying ensure that more lives were saved but it is unfortunate that we lost several others”, Adamu further said.
Meanwhile, the Kaduna state government has lifted the 24-hour curfew imposed on the capital city and environs, which was imposed after the two blasts that occurred yesterday.
The state Commissioner of Information, Ben Bako, announced this while addressing newsmen, yesterday in Kaduna.
According to him, after visiting the two sites of the blasts and seen the condition of some of the victims, the state security council came to the conclusion that the curfew should be lifted immediately.
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