Jos Bomb Blast: Survivors recount their experiences
Category: Boko Haram News
As Jos bomb blast death tow rises to 118 with several other injured persons lying critically on hospital beds, those who narrowly escaped the blasts have recounted their frightening tales to Vanguard.
A resident, Ladi Emmanuel who cheated death on the fateful day said,
It was just God that delivered me.I went to the bank to withdraw some money, the first ATM was not working so I went to the next bank.After getting the money, I decided to get some things in the market. On getting to where chickens were being sold, I heard a loud noise and a plank fell on my hand. I was dazed and was half unconscious and saw people running. I didn’t join the people until I saw fire burning and people were shouting that I should run.
“As I started running, I heard the second blast and got more confused but I just knew I was alive by God’s grace because I was not stampeded where I was, I decided not to run as I did not know what was ahead but I survived though so many were not so lucky, it was God who saved me”.
Another woman who gave her name as mama Funmi, said:
“I did not know I was alive until I woke up in the hospital. My shop was at the spot where the first bomb exploded. I left the shop at about 2.50 pm to see someone inside the market, I didn’t meet the person so I decided to come back. As I was approaching my shop, I heard a loud bang which sent me sprawling on the floor.
“People were stepping on me as they ran but I managed to get up and joined the crowd regardless of the pains I was feeling. I was already until I saw the flame razing shops and goods and I just passed out”.
She said a neighbour who saw her took her to a clinic where she got a First Aid treatment and was discharged. Though her shop was burnt, she remained grateful to God who rescued her from untimely death.
Another resident, a native of Orlu, Imo State who said his name was not
“important” said his people were in the morgue of the State Specialist
Hospital to look for “the corpse of Francis, a peaceful man who did not
deserve a violent death”.
“Francis was a Keke NAPEP (tricycle) operator, a father of three who died and left an old mother in the village.I am not a relative by blood but we are from the same village, live in the same area here in Jos and worship in the same Church. We met on Monday evening and as usual, we were together discussing how business went in the day.
“On Tuesday these evil people came, he passed by my shop at Railway Line and waved as if he knew he was saying goodbye”.He described the late Francis as “an easy going man who went out in search of daily bread but was killed by these evil people”.
Another relative who gave his name as Chilobi Amadi and the Chairman,
Railway Line Traders’ Association who was physically shaken said he was
still going round to locate his people.
He said
“I am the owner of Do Good Curtain World, Tuesday was terrible. I was in the shop with my wife and children. At about to 3pm, I was expecting my Reverend who was to come and pray for me because my business was not going well. My Reverend later came and immediately we ended the prayer inside my shop and I said Amen, we heard a loud explosion."
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