(Photo:File copy of a blast scene)
The city of Zaria on Tuesday suffered a terrible act of infamy as terrorists detonated explosives that killed and injured several persons at the secretariat of the Sabon-Gari local government council. The casualty count as at 12 noon ,according to the state government was 25 fatalities, including a two-year old child.But NEMA put the casualty figure at 26. Thirty-two injured persons are being treated at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria and other hospitals in the city.Governor Nasir El –Rufai put the initial death toll of the Zaria bomb blast at 20 ,a figure the government has now reviewed upward.
Official reports said the blast went off as the residents welcomed the new chairman of the interim management committee of the local government to his office at the secretariat. Some local government staff from Lere and Ikara were also undergoing biometric verification at the venue.
The Kaduna State Government has expressed its sadness at this mindless attack on our citizens. It has condoled with the victims and is coordinating the treatment of the survivors.
Speaking at the scene of the blast, the governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai sympathised with the direct victims and the residents of Zaria. He prayed Allah to grant the souls of the deceased victims peaceful repose. He condemned the attack as an inhuman act of terror, and he urged the people of Kaduna State as a whole to be vigilant, even as they preserve the peace. The governor said residents of the state should promptly report all suspicious persons and activities to the security agencies and community leaders.
The governor further announced the deployment of extra security forces across the state. Malam El-Rufai urged the people of the state to shun large gatherings but, where that is impossible, to exercise and practise maximum vigilance and vigorous checks on persons, vehicles and luggage. The state government will announce further steps to strengthen our security and safety in the next few days, and call on our people to cooperate fully with law enforcement agencies in these trying times.
Government Bans Street Begging,Hawking
The Kaduna State Government has commended the people of the state for promptly embracing the crucial necessity of watchful vigilance and attention to security.
A statement by Samaila Aruwan, media aide to the governor said the government has also announced further measures to enhance public security in the state.Henceforth, the statement said , all beggars and hawkers are to stay off the streets until further notice. Any beggar or hawker found on the streets will be arrested, until these measures are relaxed.
In addition, government reiterated “that the ban on motorcycle taxis (achaba) remains in force, and the law will be strictly enforced in this regard.”
The government also urged all citizens to report all suspicious persons and movements to the security agencies, and to afford these agencies their maximum cooperation just as it said the new measures take immediate effect.