Spokesperson of the Nigerian Police, Frank Mba, while speaking to journalists on Monday afternoon, confirmed that at least 71 people died in the bomb explosion at a motor park in Nyanya, the outskirts of Abuja.
“So far, we have a total of 71 persons dead and 124 others injured and they are all, receiving treatments at various hospitals in and around FCT metropolis,” Mr. Mba said.
Witnesses estimated that the body count could rise as high as two hundred.
During his visit to the blast scene and the hospitals, President Goodluck Jonathan appealed to the media to assist government in enlightening the public on security consciousness.
Mr. Jonathan was close to tears as he spoke at the blast site. Some of the affected vehicles were seen littered around the park while the dead and the injured had been taken to hospitals.
Mr. Jonathan harped on the need for extra vigilance and for people to report suspicious movements in any part of the country to security agencies.
The president said government will do everything necessary to ensure that the country moves forward despite the activities of those who preferred to move the country backwards.
Mr. Mba said a total of 16 luxurious buses were torched, while 24 others mainly belonging to individuals suffered damages in the blast that occurred at about 6:30 a.m.
He disclosed that security agencies were working with hospitals to create information centers for relatives to assist them in getting information on their loved ones.
SOURCE: PREMIUM TIMES