Abuja mall blast: 3 more die

THE casualty figure from the recent Emab mall bomb blast in Abuja has risen to 24 following the death of three more victims on admission in hospitals.

Two of the victims died at the National Hospital while the other died at Maitama District Hospital.

The rise in the number of the dead persons was confirmed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr Demola Onakomaiya, on Thursday.

Also, the Nigerian Tribune gathered that the FCT Administration was already liaising with appropriate security agencies towards re-opening of the plaza to normal business activities, days after business owners faced challenges having access to their facility.

Owing to the planned re-opening, it was gathered that owners and managers of the ever-busy shopping plaza have been given standard security requirements to be put in place before the plaza could be re-opened.

This was so as the administration stood by its earlier directive for the strengthening of security at all shopping malls and markets in Abuja, particularly in the metropolis.

At an enlarged security meeting which he presided on Thursday at Life Camp, Abuja, to review the security situation in the territory, FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, directed that shopping centres and plazas on the crowded Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2 and on all the other busy corridors in the city and the satellite towns be similarly made to comply with the new security templates.

He directed owners and managers of the plazas to cooperate fully with the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and other agencies to checkmate hawking around the shopping centres, especially in areas that are considered soft targets for terrorist attacks. 

Senator Mohammed directed all the six area council chairmen in Abuja to commence registration of all foreigners in their respective areas, in conjunction with officials of the Nigerian Immigration Services.

The minister instructed the council chairmen to continue with their regular security meetings in their respective areas with the traditional rulers, community leaders, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and other stakeholders.

He equally directed the FCT Road Traffic Services Department and the police to eject all persons carrying out commercial or begging activities on the various pedestrian bridges.

The meeting was attended by the heads of the various security agencies in the FCT, including the military, the police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Brigade of Guards, the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS), among others.

Meanwhile, the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been commended by the FCT Minister, Senator Mohammed, for its quick response via rescue operation a few minutes after last week Wednesday’s  terror attack of the ever busy EMAB shopping Plaza, Wuse II District, Abuja. 

The coordinated rescue team of the Agency was the first to arrive the scene of the bombing within seven (7) minutes after the blast and was able to rescue many victims from the scene.

Speaking during the opening of the enlarged FCT Security Meeting on Thursday, the Minister expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Agency. It should be recalled that the FCT Emergency Management Agency received a distress call at about 16:07hrs on the day of the bombing (last week Wednesday) and immediately dispatched a Foam Tender- CT 274 A11, a Water Tanker- CT 360 A11 and an Ambulance – CT 92 A07 from the Asokoro Fire Division while another Water Tanker was dispatched from the Gwarinpa Division.  The FCT Fire Service was the first responder to the scene and they were joined by the Search and Rescue Team from FEMA Headquarters. 

The FCT Fire Service team made up of thirty (30) Officers and men was eventually able to put out the ensuing fire from the blast early giving way for subsequent rescue and evacuation of victims to various hospitals in the Territory.

The Director-General of FCT Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Abbas G. Idris said that operationally, the Agency works in synergy with its stakeholders made up of the NEMA, Police, Military, DSS, FRSC, NSCDC, Fire Service, Directorates of Road Traffic Services, the Red Cross and volunteers whose respective roles are well defined and performed in the event of an emergency.

He stressed that in the rescue operation at the EMAB Plaza bomb blast, the FCT Emergency Management Agency, as in previous cases, successfully coordinated the activities of these partners. It also works together with them in preventing disasters. 

“With respect to response time during emergencies, it was observed that the Agency is probably one of the most responsive agencies in the country often achieving an average response time of five (5) minutes to distress calls,” he said adding that the Agency in has however vowed to continue to endeavor to improve on its capacity to respond.

The Director-General assured all residents of the Territory that the Agency will continue to work round the clock to prevent or mitigate disasters.