2 dead, one seriously injured in Suleja bomb blast

No fewer than two people have been confirmed dead in the bomb blast that occurred at about 3pm Sunday at the All Christian Fellowship, along Church Road in Suleja-Niger State. A female member of the church was identified as Theresa Ubogor, while the second person is yet to be identified.www.mannastores.com

Bassey Effiong, DPO Suleja Division A, who was accompanied by armed policemen, warned the watching crowd to disperse to avoid another casuality. Armed mobile policemen and officials of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Nigerian Red Cross as well as Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) rescue rehabilitation team were busy combing the premises of the church. While narrating the ordeal, Rev. Joseph Olowosagba, senior pastor of All Christian Fellowship Church, along Church Road, Suleja disclosed that the bomb exploded about 3pm shortly after the workers’ meeting.

He confirmed two people died instantly and one other seriously injured had been rushed to Gwagwalada Specialist hospital, while other Church workers at the meeting including a couple have eardrum damage due to the explosion. Olowosagba said: “After we has dismissed the normal service, we were having different meetings.

It was in the course of making arrangement for another department to have a meeting in the children department near the main church that we heard an explosion which some of our people who were outside trying to arrange things were affected. “As at now majorly three people were affected, two are dead, one is alive while some others because of the explosion, it affected their ear drums so they are not hearing well, husband and wife. 

They are at the Suleja General Hospital. The other one that the bomb cut the leg, has been transferred to Gwagwalada General Hospital.” On his part, Pastor Barrister Phillip Ekwueme, resident pastor of Al Christian Fellowship Church, disclosed that the incident occurred at 3pm and that it claimed two lives. He said: “We were having the meeting of the leadership of the church and immediately we finished, we came out while some other people were still around putting things in order.

Barely ten minutes we left here, the whole thing happened, there are some other members of the church were to have another meeting.

“Like the two casualities that died, were for a meeting look at the husband of one of them is here. He came with the wife for a meeting, they were staying here when it happened. Two women died, some other people sustained injury. They’ve been taken to Gwagwalada hospital while others were taken to Suleja General Hospital.” Obayemi Adebowale, a member of the Man O’ War who joined the rescue team, noted that the only victim with severe injury has been rushed to Gwagwalada Specialist hospital and that the remains of the two dead persons have been deposited in the Suleja General Hospital mortuary. 

Peter Osema, NEMA official Suleja office who spoke with BusinessDay at the scene of the bomb blast, said: “We have made serious efforts to evacuate the corpses. Two women are dead while one is still in critical condition at the Gwagwalada hospital. We didn’t keep on time because we all rushed down here when it happened.

When you get there now you will see the place scattered so we can’t say how it really happened.” On his part, Chimezie Anosike, who resides behind the church, said: “I was outside the premises with my colleague when I heard the bomb blast but I said it’s like a bomb but he said it’s not a bomb. Not up to five minutes, somebody called me, whether I’m at home but I said no.

He now said there was a bomb blast, but I said it was a lie. I quickly entered okada and come back here and saw what happened. They took away three people, two women and one man. I saw two people dead.” He however expressed pessimism over the survival of the third victim, who according to eyewitnesses, had broken legs and was seriously injured. He disclosed that NEMA officials and other security agencies would keep a vigil at the scene of the incident to ensure effective monitoring and security of lives and property.