- Title: NIGERIA: Suspected car bomb in Nigerian capital kills at least 15
- Date: 2nd May 2014
- Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (MAY 2, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BOMB BLAST SCENE MEMBER OF SECURITY FORCES INSPECTING DAMAGED VEHICLE DAMAGED AND BURNT VEHICLE PARTS REMAINS OF A STREET VENDORS MOBILE KIOSK DAMAGED AND BURNT VEHICLE SANDAL ON GROUND DAMAGED MOTORCYCLE VARIOUS OF WOMEN WORKING TO CLEAR DEBRIS DAMAGED CAR BEING TOWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) RESIDENT FROM ABUJA AND NYANYA RESTUARANT OWNER, ADUKWU JOY, SAYING: "I cannot even start from this Nyanya to stand to sell something, one of my friends, many of them have gone the first one what happened to me, my senior brother was on the way but thank God, I thank God that it did not get my senior brother but now this one is my best friends that have now been 'late' (eds note: Nigerian reference to someone who has died) that is what I'm feeling now." (SOUNDBITE) (English) NYANYA RESIDENT, LANRE OKODUWA, SAYING: "In fact, people are scared of Nyanya even yesterday a lot of people saying that they will go back to their states, many people are scared of Nyanya presently now even if they saw motor.. any motor parked by the this thing. They are even scared to go nearer to that very vehicle. So many people yesterday when we were. a lot of them said they are leaving Nyanya they are leaving Nyanya even the Nyanya market there many of them they said they will not go to Nyanya again." ABUJA, NIGERIA (MAY 02, 2014) (REUTERS) SIGN FOR ASOKORO GENERAL HOSPITAL VARIOUS OF RELATIVES WAITING OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL HOSPITAL STAFF AND EQUIPMENT OUTSIDE HOSPITAL ENTRANCE VARIOUS OF HOSPITAL EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT BEING CLEANED HOSPITAL CLOTHING GATHERED FOR LAUNDRY RELATIVES WAITING (SOUNDBITE) (English) RELATION TO A VICTIM, TIMOTHY NYIKUNBUR, SAYING "Yesterday we know my brother is living along Masaka-Mararaba side, so yesterday evening when I heard this around 8:30pm I said ok as far as my brother is living that side and he was just closing from work I said let me call him. So when I called him the number was not going so this morning I said let me come to the hospital to check whether he is here. So I saw his name, they showed me the list his name was there, his name is there so they referred me to Maitama now. So right now as I'm standing here I want to go to Maitama." (SOUNDBITE) (English) BROTHER TO AN INJURED VICTIM, UGOCHUKWU EWIN, SAYING: "I came here to sympathise and to see my brother, he is a victim of yesterday's bomb explosion at Nyanya Abuja. But I have seen him now, he is receiving treatment quietly and people in charge there have seen him they have asked me to stay by interview me to know or to know what happened yesterday. So I'm just waiting for the information, I'm waiting for them to call me back and ask me what happened." EXTERIOR OF ASOKORO GENERAL HOSPITAL
- Embargoed: 17th May 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Crime,Conflict
- Reuters ID: LVAAMWY4IHXA6IU4M5JWOJO9YY9C
- Story Text: A suspected car bomb exploded on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital Abuja on Thursday (May 1), killing at least 15 people, witnesses said.
The attack comes a week before the city hosts a conference of leaders and business executives focused on Africa's growth prospects.
The explosion hit the suburb of Nyanya, close to the site of a morning rush hour bomb attack at a bus station last month that killed at least 75 people.
The April 14 attack was claimed by the radical Islamist movement Boko Haram which is waging an insurgency against President Goodluck Jonathan's government.
Boko Haram, which is seeking to carve out an Islamist enclave in Africa's No. 1 oil producer, had threatened further attacks after the April 14 bombing.
The latest attack is an embarrassment for Goodluck Jonathan's government, which had announced a massive security operation to protect the World Economic Forum on Africa scheduled for May 7 to 9 in Abuja.
The forum, a regional replica of the Davos, Switzerland event, brings together international leaders, policy makers, entrepreneurs and philanthropists.
Nigeria's government had announced that 6,000 soldiers and police would be deployed to protect next week's summit which is due to be attended by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, African leaders and a host of other international personalities.
Residents and shopkeepers gathered at the blast scene on Friday (May 2) morning to assess the damage with some saying that increasing attacks mean they cannot live without fear of violence.
"In fact, people are scared of Nyanya even yesterday a lot of people [were] saying that they will go back to their states, many people are scared of Nyanya presently now even if they saw motor.. any motor parked by the this thing. They are even scared to go nearer to that very vehicle," said Nyanya resident Lanre Okoduwa.
Adukwu Joy who owns a restaurant in Nyanya told Reuters that one of her friends died as a result of the blast.
"I thank God that it did not get my senior brother but now this one is my best friends that have now been 'late' that is what I'm feeling now," she said.
Relatives of some of those injured in the explosion waited anxiously outside Asokora Geneal hospital in Abuja.
One relative said that he had to check with the capital's hospitals for his brother whereabouts after several attempts to reach him by phone failed.
"Yesterday evening when I heard this around 8:30pm I said ok, as far as my brother is living that side and he was just closing from work I said let me call him. So when I called him the number was not going so this morning I said let me come to the hospital to check whether he is here. So I saw his name, they showed me the list his name was there, his name is there so they referred me to Maitama now. So right now as I'm standing here I want to go to Maitama," said Timothy Nyikunbur.
"I came here to sympathise and to see my brother, he is a victim of yesterday's bomb explosion at Nyanya Abuja. But I have seen him now, he is receiving treatment quietly and people in charge there have seen him they have asked me to stay by interview me to know or to know what happened yesterday. So I'm just waiting for the information, I'm waiting for them to call me back and ask me what happened," said Ugochukwu Ewin brother of another wounded victim.
The government and the military have been under intense pressure to step up security in the country following the April 14 attack and the mass abduction by suspected Boko Haram militants the same day of more than 200 teenage schoolgirls from a northeastern school. Some of the girls escaped but most are still missing.
This abduction has shocked Nigeria, triggering protests in Abuja and exposing the security forces' inability to contain a ruthless anti-government insurgency whose targets also include Christian churches and civilians of all races and creeds.
The West African oil producer, which recently replaced South Africa as the continent's biggest economy through a rebasing of its GDP, faces an election 10 months away which many fear will exacerbate existing political, ethnic and religious tensions. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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