How Bauchi Central market was bombed

Facts emerged yesterday on how Boko
Haram insurgents carried out the
Monday’s attack on Bauchi Central Market
where scores of people were killed and
several persons were injured, even as
police said three looters have been
detained.
Giving an account of the incident, Alhaji
Adamu Musa Noma, Chairman of the
Central Market Traders’ Association, told
reporters that two men dressed in fake
mobile police uniform and a lady came to
the market Monday evening, they bought
boxes and Atamfa (ankara) clothing
materials and kept them in a shop
Noma disclosed that one of the men went
outside to make a call, while the other
detonated the bomb. He said 10 of his
members died in the explosion, adding
that 70 shops were razed and goods
worth billions of Naira were destroyed.
Noma said just on Monday, the security
committee set up by the executive
committee of the association to decongest
the market was meeting when the incident
occurred. He stated that apart from
decongesting the market, the committee
will ensure proper parking of vehicles,
adding that this would ensure that certain
vehicles were not allowed to park near the
market.
These measures according to Noma, were
part of the security arrangement being put
in place by the traders to ensure safety of
lives and property.
He thanked the police, Army, Red Cross,
men of the Fire Service, members of
Islamic Aid Group, among others, for
their prompt response to the distress call
and their efforts in ensuring that the fire
that engulfed the market was put out.
Governor Isa Yuguda has commiserated
with the victims, ensuring that his
administration will reconstruct the market
to restore means of livelihood of the
people. The governor, in a statement
signed by his Chief Press Secretary,
Deacon Ishola Michael Adeyemi, directed
that the government will pay the medical
bills of those injured.
The governor, who visited the scene
yesterday as well as the injured in
hospital reassured the people of the state
of his administration’s determination to
continue to place security on its priority
list.
“This is alien to us here but with faith in
God, it will soon come to pass. We will not
allow it to deter us from continuing with
the focus of our administration which is
security of lives and property of all
innocent citizens,” the statement quoted
the governor.
Governor Yuguda also reassured the
people that adequate security will be
intensified in all public places to forestall
future occurrence while calling on the
people to be security conscious and
report every questionable character to
security agencies.
Meanwhile, the state police command’s
spokesman, DSP Haruna Mohammed,
said three suspects had been arrested for
looting. He said, “normalcy had been
restored by security forces while patrols
are being intensified. According to him,
investigation has begun.