Revealed: Victims of Xmas Day bombings

LEADERS of St. Theresa’s Church, Madalla, near Abuja, have begun the grim but necessary task of listing the dead in Sunday’s suicide bombing.

The toll has risen from 26 to 32, it was learnt yesterday.

Some of the dead are: Paul Ehis (St. Theresa’s security worker); Joseph Igbla (Just admitted at IBB University); Williams Dike (an oil trader who died with his three children); Inspector Titus Eze (police officer); Sgt. Kadiri Danjuma (policeman); Chioma Obiukwu (student); Ifeoma Obiukwu (student); Uchechukwu Obiukwu (student); Chidinma Obiukwu; Francis Maduka; Jennifer Maduka; and a one year old child. The names of the other victims were not immediately known yesterday.

The cleric in charge of the church, the Very Rev. Isaac Achi, said yesterday”: “So far, as at Monday, we can confirm 22 dead, including our church members, motorcyclists and some Muslims, who were probably passing by.

“I am going to the hospitals to take stock of the situation. Thereafter, I can still brief you on the casualty figures.

“We still have many parishioners, who were injured, in the hospital. We are preoccupied with how to give them the best medical attention.”

On those killed, Rev. Achi said: “We intend to give them mass burial, but we have not decided the date. We will make it public when we are ready for the burial.

“We want those in hospitals to be stable or to have considerably recovered before the mass burial.”

As at last night, the church was busy compiling the list of the dead, those injured in various hospitals and carrying out an inventory of houses/property destroyed.

A church worker, simply referred to as Modestus, was conducting the inventory, in collaboration with some NEMA officials, led by Mr. Ishaya Chinoko.

Modestus said: “We are still compiling the list of victims, the injured and items destroyed by the explosions. I cannot give you any exact figure now.”

The church has opted for a mass burial for the victims, but the cleric in charge of the Parish, the Very Rev. Isaac Achi, yesterday said no date has been fixed.

Also yesterday, it was learnt that 17 Boko Haram suspects behind the Boko Haram (western education is a sin) bombings in Damaturu, Yobe State have been flown to Abuja.

All the suspects are being kept in an isolated cell by the Police under heavy security.

Some of them, it was gathered, have admitted their involvement in the killing of an Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations), Ibrahim Abubakar and the Officer-in-Charge of the Mobile Police Unit in Yobe State, Superintendent Kabir Musa.

Rescue agencies have deposited 32 bodies of the Christmas Day bombing at the State House Clinic, Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital, and National Hospital morgues in Abuja.

More than 40 others are being attended to in three referral hospitals. There is a high demand for blood transfusion.

A source in the National Emergency Management Agency, who spoke in confidence, said: “Although we will prefer the hospitals managing and releasing the figures, I can tell you that we were able to deposit 32 bodies in three hospitals. We have the records.

“You will recall that on Monday, we rolled out an official figure of 26, but this is the situation as at Tuesday.

“There are many lying critically ill in some hospitals and the government is doing its best to give them adequate care.

“I believe there is hope for the living victims with better care as it is now.”

The last members of suspected Boko Haram bombers in Yobe were ferried into Abuja on Monday.

Although two more suspects were apprehended in Yobe, they have not been brought to Abuja.

Those in custody are in detention in an isolated cell under Police custody.

A source said: “We have put them in an isolated cell under heavy security surveillance. We made sure that none of them mingles with other detainee and they have no access to cell phones.

“The interrogation of the suspects by SARS Unit is ongoing. Some of the suspects have admitted involvement in the killing of some top police officers in Yobe.

“We are looking beyond routine interrogation. We want to get to the roots of the bombings. After preliminary interaction with them, other agencies might also be involved. It is going to be a comprehensive investigation.”

Also, a fresh manhunt has been launched for what a source described as the new leader of Boko Haram, who is simply called Jafar.

The source said: “We are after Jafar who has relocated to Yobe State where he has established some bomb factories and a military base to launch attacks against innocent souls.

“The manhunt has started. We are already reaching out to neighbouring countries like Niger and Chad to collaborate with us in this regard.

“We have it on good authority and from intelligence gathering that Jafar is now leading this deadly sect.”

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/31356-revealed-victims-of-xmas-day-bombings.html