Despite government promises, families and victims of the series of bomb explosion that have rocked the country are left abandoned to their fate
Today’s presidential election will be a watershed in one of the fiercest political contests in the history of Nigeria, where for the first time the violence was taken a notch higher with planted bombs used to make political statements or to scare potential voters. Since October 1 last year when the first bomb exploded at Eagle Square, venue of the Independence Day celebration, Nigeria has witnessed additional four major bomb explosions where close to a hundred people have lost their lives and a similar figure have been injured. While politicians have started celebrating their victory since the results of last Saturday’s polls were announced, with the biggest celebration to come after the declaration of the results of today’s polls, victims of the bomb explosions and their families languish, forgotten in pain.

At the time the nation was mourning, the spectacle of injured victims lying in agony on their hospital beds presented excellent photo opportunity for politicians who flocked to their sick beds and offered condolences and promises of footing their hospital bills and the payment of compensations to them. But Weekly Trust investigations showed that the most the injured got was a 12-day treatment whereupon they were forgotten and left to their fate. Now, most of them are left battling disfiguring ailments and physical incapacitation that has meant the loss of their means of livelihood. As for the ones who died, the promise of compensating their families was buried with their interred bodies.

Austin Olajie, one of the victims of the Independence Day blast who is now left in crutches told Weekly Trust: “Right from when the incident occurred on October 1 last year, nobody has rendered any form of assistance. Even while I was in hospital, I was told by the staff of the National Hospital that I was not required to spend my own resources on any of my medications, including medicines, X-rays and the rest. But these same staff are the ones who after notifying me of this have refused to give me a refund of the N12, 500 which I paid for medicine. Also, I had to buy my own crutches. All the promises of heaven and earth that were made ended as soon as they were pronounced.”

Olaije now goes for physiotherapy and medications. Initially, after he was discharged, he visits the hospital twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays. As he got better, the trips to the hospital were reduced to once a week. But by now the strain of managing his ailment has weighed heavily on his pockets that he has to beg the doctor to make his trips to the hospital once every other week. And because he has temporarily lost the use of his leg he relies on taxis to take him to the hospital, a single trip of which he has to pay N3, 000 because of his distance from the hospital.

Loveth Ochabo was also a victim of the Independence Day blast. After being hospitalized in the National Hospital for two months at a stretch and another two weeks not long after, Ochabo still makes regular medial trips at her own expense. “Apart from the hospital bill which was paid and the free care I receive when I go for physiotherapy and routine checks, I have not received any assistance,” she says.

Like Olaide, Ochabo lives far from the hospital, residing in the Mobile Police Barracks in Dei Dei, a suburb of Abuja, with her elder sister. She says the cost of transporting herself to the hospital is biting hard. She pays more because relatives have to help her go out to the main road and get a taxi to come to her home to pick her up. She too is undergoing physiotherapy for injuries she sustained. “Even if I want to, I cannot do anything to raise money, not even petty trading like I used to. My left leg is still not in the best of shape as I am still learning to walk with the help of one crutch. Promises made are yet to be fulfilled.”

ASP Etim Bassey is one of the police officers on official duty when the bomb went off, knocking him to the ground, which led to shrapnel wounds that broke his leg. “No one has responded to us yet,” he says. “I still go for treatment because my leg is still not stable. The cast was removed last Thursday and I am managing with my crutches. Unlike many others, I would say I have been lucky, since the government has been fully responsible for the cost of my treatment. But till date no form of compensation has come to me.”

Mayowa Adeniran, a bomb blast victim is more pointed with his accusations: “You ask what the government has done for us? If I may ask do we have any responsible government? They would have redeemed the pledges they made to us. What responsible government foots the bill of bomb blast victims for just 12 days and then leaves the victims to themselves?”

The victims of the bomb explosion not only have to contend with the physical injuries they sustained but the dislocation it has wrought on their family life. Haruna Hassan’s life for instance has taken a different turn since his eyes was injured in the Independence Day blast. After he exhausted his savings in treating himself he couldn’t afford to pay his house rent and has to relocate with his family to the village. He now prays for death. “I have lost hope and am just waiting for God to call me,” he says. “I am supposed to have gone for my eye operation but I have no money and I let it be. When I went back to the hospital after the pains became unbearable, I was told that the condition is deteriorating and if I want to have my sight I have to act fast to save the other eye. I decided to just wait on the Lord because I have been living on the mercy of friends and neighbours.”

Hassan’s three children could no longer go to school because his injuries have broken his means of livelihood and made it impossible for him to pay their fees. “Where do I get the money from?” he laments. “Right now as I speak I do not have money for drugs anymore. I cannot afford to pay for my house as I have since been squatting with a friend in Gwagwa. If this is how my country is going to repay us for the unfortunate incidence that befell us, then I have nothing to say.”

Efforts by Weekly Trust to get the government’s reaction and stand on the issue were not possible as most of the officers were said to be on assignments in preparation for today’s and next week’s elections.

The most recent bomb blast, which killed and injured many of the ad-hoc staff employed by INEC for electoral duty had the government promising insurance packages to the victims. But even at that, those without formal employment with the government might not benefit from the package. Spokesperson for the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Mr Lucky Fiakpa says the maximum social welfare benefits unemployed victims of bomb blast can get is free medical treatment since they have no insurance benefit covering them. But for those who happened to be in some active employment and in an outfit that insured them, NAICOM says its doors are open to assist in making sure their insurance packages are duly and comprehensively paid to them. “We have assured INEC of swift intervention in the payment process in case there is any foul play or some kind of sharp practices,” he said.