Abuja bomb blast: US forensic experts arrive Abuja as investigation begins

As the death toll from the bomb blast that hit the Nyanya motor park, Abuja on Monday increases, forensic inves- tigators from the United States of America, yes- terday arrived Nigeria to join local security opera- tives in conducting inves- tigations.

Daily Sun gathered that the forensic investigators are from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). When our correspondent visited the scene, more than 100 heav- ily armed security agents were seen condoning off the area. The joint team of security agents included the Department of State Service (DSS), the police, army, civil defence and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

An unnamed army officer who confided in Daily Sun said the forensic investiga- tors arrived Abuja yesterday morning and were immedi- ately conveyed to the scene of the carnage.

“Few investigators from the United States arrived Abuja this morning (yester- day) to join us in Nigeria to carry out a forensic inves- tigation on what happened. Many of them are black, so you might not know recog- nise them. It is a joint opera- tion. That means all the secu- rity agencies are involved,” the army officer who did not want his name published told Daily Sun.

Journalists who were also on ground to follow up on the aftermath of the blast were barred from taking photos or stepping into some sensitive areas. Some jour- nalists who tried to flout their order were almost beaten up by the fierce-looking security agents.

The forensic investiga- tors were seen picking up samples and other vital tools at the scene of the blast. Just over the bridge, more than 500 onlookers who aban- doned their work stormed the area to catch a glimpse of what the security agents were doing.

FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed who aban- doned his religious rites in Saudi Arabia, arrived Abuja at about 12 noon and drove straight to the venue of the blast. Security agents and top officials of the FCT adminis- tration accompanied him.

Mohammed who almost broke down in tears, told journalists that the FCT ad- ministration would consider installing special mecha- nisms to detect metal or ex- plosive devices on FCT high capacity buses to preserve human lives.

“The FCT administration would meet with security agencies to exploit ways of providing additional security for Motor Parks, Markets and other public places in the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.

The minister also assured that the FCT administration would pick the medical bills of all those injured. He com-

miserated with the people that lost their loved ones as well as survivors who sus- tained various degrees of injuries.

While promising to pro- vide full medical treatment and feeding to all those in- jured, he condemned the at- tack, describing it as wicked and heartless. He directed the FCT Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr. Ademola Onakomaiya to immediately refer any se- rious case to referral or spe- cialist hospitals, either gov- ernment or privately owned and the bills be paid from the coffers of the FCT Adminis- tration.

Meanwhile, one of the injured victims of the blast died yesterday morning at the Asokoro General Hos- pital. According officials of the hospital, the victim gave up after series of attempts by the medical team to sta- bilise the unnamed victim. The medical officials further revealed that the victim sus- tained severe burns and was unconscious until the victim gave up.

 many victims who were in critical condi- tions were seen ferried into waiting ambulances. The FCT Minister told journalists that the victims were being moved to Primus Specialist Hospital for surgical opera- tion.

The corpses of those who lost their lives have been de- posited in different morgues across the territory. Senator Mohammed disclosed that some corpses have been tak-

en to private morgues. Condemning the attack,

President of the Christian As- sociation of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, ad- vised that the corpses of the perpetrators be fed to pigs when they die. He also de- scribed the attack as inhuman and cowardly.

“I completely condemned the bomb attack on a motor park in Nyanya, a satellite community on the outskirts of the Federal Capital Ter- ritory, Abuja. This is very inhuman, ungodly and bar- baric. I don’t even have the adjectives to describe what these mad people have done. As far as I am concerned, the perpetrators are not human beings and in my own opin- ion, when they finally die their corpses should be given to pigs because they are on the same level with pigs.