The victims (dead and injured) were evacuated to the National Hospital, Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse and Garki general hospitals.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta had claimed responsibility for the incident, saying there was nothing worth celebrating in the country.
In a statement that was circulated in the media early on Friday, the militant group had warned people not to venture near parked cars and trash bins, saying that explosions planted by its men would start going off at 10:30 hours.
The details of the casualties showed that seven bodies were evacuated to the National Hospital, while three bodies were deposited at Maitama Hospital.
It was learnt that three other bodies that were taken to the National Hospital by their relatives were rejected after doctors had confirmed them dead.
Also, one of the victims taken to Asokoro Hospital later died as doctors battled to save his life.
Similarly, 23 victims are receiving treatment at the National Hospital, Asokoro has 11, Maitama 20, Wuse nine, and Garki three.
Among the victims at the National Hospital whose cases are said to be critical is an SSS operative, whose stomach was pierced by shrapnel from the blasts.
Mr. Chima Obi, an official of the National Emergency Management Agency, who was at the scene, told our correspondents that 10 people died from the blasts.
Among the dead were three police officers. Their bodies were deposited at the National Hospital morgue.
The explosives that went off around 11 am when the Jubilee celebration was already on, were planted in vehicles parked opposite the new Federal High Court along the popular Shehu Shagari Way, which runs through the Federal Secretariat.
No fewer than 12 vehicles were damaged by the impact of the explosions, which shook the surrounding areas, affecting the cars parked some metres away from the immediate scene of the blast.
The whole stretch of the Shagari Way was strewn with the personal effects of the casualties like shoes, pieces of clothing, and the uniform of a police officer, (name withheld).
The pieces of his uniform were seen being picked up by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Ivy Okoronkwo, who declined to comment on the incident. It was not yet known whether the police officer was one of the three cops that reportedly died as a result of the blasts.
The debris of vehicles littered the whole scene, while many vehicles parked some distance away had their windscreens shattered and their tyres blown.
Our correspondents gathered that the first explosion attracted some people, who wanted to see the spectacle, but as they were milling around, the second one went off, claiming many lives.
An eyewitness, Mr. Mailafia Mony, whose Honda car was destroyed by the blast, said the first blast went off while it was raining, adding that he had just entered his car to take shelter with his wife when the explosion rocked the area.
Mony, a teacher at the LEA Primary School, Dutse Alhaji, wept as he narrated how he miraculously escaped being killed by the explosions. ”The explosion shook the area and I immediately ran away with my wife; we were really afraid. We had not gone some metres when the second explosion went off, killing many people. My car was destroyed by the blasts,” he narrated as he wept.
A private disaster consultant, Mr. Bankole Omotivi, who was at the scene, blamed capacity problem for the high number of casualties, noting that security agents who responded to the distress calls did not know what to do as they were just milling around waiting for NEMA officials.
”For close to 12 minutes, security agents were just standing around not knowing what to do. I think we have a capacity problem because if they had attended to the wounded immediately, perhaps many lives might have been saved,” he said.
A police constable, Isah Okpalachi, who was treated at the Maitama Hospital for wounds to his right leg and eyebrow, said he was directing vehicles when the explosion went off. He was grateful to be alive.
Earlier in the day at the square, a grenade held by a mobile police officer went off, injuring him and a journalist with SheWorld, Mr. Suleman Aliu. He was treated at the Maitama Hospital.
Aliu regretted the incident, but said he might sue the government because no government official came around to see his state of health after the incident.
One of the injured, Julian Miguel, a Spaniard, explained that he was brought into the country by one Ademola Ifabiti to help with the giant balloons that were used to add glamour to the celebration.
Miguel, a balloon pilot, who arrived in Nigeria on Sept. 16 to fly the balloons for celebration, had his ear drums affected by the blast.
But his countryman, Mr. Raul Carbonell, had a more severe injury and is being admitted at the National Hospital.
Miguel said, ”We were invited to Nigeria on Sept. 16 from Spain to come and pilot the balloons for the anniversary celebration. We flew the balloon this morning and when we landed, we wanted to eat breakfast. We had wanted to use our car, but it had been blocked by those who parked indiscriminately by the road side.
”As we were standing to look for a taxi, we just had a bang, then there was commotion, people were running up and down. My friend (Carbonell) has a small piece of metal in his leg and is among the people being treated at the National Hospital.”
Miguel, who said that he suffered severe pains in his two ears from the deafening sound from the explosions, was seen waiting to be attended to at the NOH.
According to him, the first bomb exploded opposite the Bayelsa House and this attracted people to the location when the second one went off, injuring and maiming many.
Displaying a slight injury, Miguel said that one of the three balloons pilots brought in from Spain, identified as Raul, was not as lucky as he sustained injuries and was taken to the National Hospital by the men of the Federal Road safety Commission for treatment.
Among those feared dead are three senior police officers. A number of injured police officers were seen by our correspondents receiving emergency treatment.
Eye witnesses told our correspondents that two cars apparently loaded with bombs exploded just a few minutes after President Goodluck Jonathan arrived at the Eagles Square for the parade.
As news of the explosion filtered into the venue of the parade, a number of people started leaving, apparently to confirm if the incident affected their relatives.
By the time our correspondents visited the National Hospital, where some of the people injured in the explosions were taken, the reception hall named after the late Mrs. Maryam Babangida had been converted into an emergency ward. The hospital wards were said to be full.
An official hospital source told our correspondents that seven corpses had been deposited at the mortuary of the NOH.
Our correspondents counted more than a score that were being treated at the reception, which had been converted into an emergency ward. Among those receiving treatment at the ward was a man in his 40s, shouting, ”Oh God, please help me! Help me God!” Blood was gushing from near his eyes and from abdomen. Others at the ward were also covered with blood.
At the parade ground, security failure became apparent as security agents showed lack of dexterity to control the surging crowd.
The police and other security agents watched helplessly while people that were unaccredited to the venue of the parade tore the wire barrier to get in.
One police officer complained bitterly that gatecrashers were too many.
MEND had sent an earlier warning to the public via its website, asking people to steer clear of the venue of the celebration.
The message, signed by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, read, ”With due respect to all invited guests, dignitaries and attendees of the 50th independence anniversary of Nigeria being held today, Friday, Oct. 1, 2010 at the Eagle (sic) Square Abuja, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta is asking everyone to begin immediate evacuation of the entire area within the next 30 minutes.
”This warning expires after 10.30hrs. Several explosive devices have been successfully planted in and around the venue by our operatives working inside the government security services. In evacuating the area, keep a safe distance from vehicles and trash bins.
”There is nothing worth celebrating after 50 years of failure. For 50 years, the people of the Niger Delta have had their land and resources stolen from them. The constitution before independence which offered resource control was mutilated by illegal military governments and this injustice is yet to be addressed.”
According to the Chief Medical Director of the Maitama District Hospital, Dr. Francis Alu, ”Twenty-two victims were brought to the hospital.
”One was brought in dead, two died while being attended to. We mobilised nurses and other medical officers who were not on duty to come and join us, yet we referred other victims who we could not accommodate to other hospitals.
”Most of them have been stabilised, only one is still in critical condition. Some of the victims came in with fractured bones, severe and mild bones; we attended to the victims immediately. All the dead victims are males.”
However, at the National Hospital, the Head of Department, Management Information Services, Mr. Tayo Haastrup, declined to give the number of victims that were brought to the hospital.
He said, ”We received some patients (victims) as we normally do at the accidents and emergency word. What we have seen today, we don‘t have the details yet, our major concern is to treat them; the patients have their privacy, so we will not expose the condition of their health to the press.”
The Chairman, Asokoro Hospital, Dr. Olugbenga Bello, told our correspondents that 12 patients were brought in around 12 noon and they were all males.
”One died as a result of multiple injuries, three are critical with multiple fractures, other are stable, 10 are on admission and we discharged one. Those on admission are responding to treatment. For now, we are bearing the cost of the treatment since it is an emergency and a national tragedy, until their relations pick up the bills.”
One of the victims, Mr. Linus Patrick, who is a driver with the Ministry of Niger Delta, said that the the first explosion went off in a red car, whose driver had argued with a policeman for parking wrongly.
He added that the policeman jotted down the number of the said car.
The Police Public Relations Officer, FCT Command, Mr. Jimoh Moshood, assured that the Close Circuit Television Cameras installed around the area would assist the police to apprehend the masterminds of the blasts.
Source: http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101002415482
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