After the unfortunate blast which claimed 118 lives and several
others injured, residents who narrowly escaped the blasts have
recounted to Vanguard
A resident, Ladi Emmanuel who cheated death on the fateful
day said,
It was just God that delivered me.I went to the bank to
withdraw some money, the first ATM was not working so
I went to the next bank.After getting the money, I decided
to get some things in the market. On getting to where
chickens were being sold, I heard a loud noise and a
plank fell on my hand. I was dazed and was half
unconscious and saw people running. I didn’t join the
people until I saw fire burning and people were shouting
that I should run.
“As I started running, I heard the second blast and got
more confused but I just knew I was alive by God’s grace
because I was not stampeded where I was, I decided not
to run as I did not know what was ahead but I survived
though so many were not so lucky, it was God who saved
me”.
Another woman who gave her name as mama Funmi, said,
“I did not know I was alive until I woke up in the
hospital. My shop was at the spot where the first bomb
exploded. I left the shop at about 2.50 pm to see someone
inside the market, I didn’t meet the person so I decided to
come back. As I was approaching my shop, I heard a loud
bang which sent me sprawling on the floor.
“People were stepping on me as they ran but I managed
to get up and joined the crowd regardless of the pains I
was feeling. I was already until I saw the flame razing
shops and goods and I just passed out”.
She said a neighbour who saw her took her to a clinic
where she got a First Aid treatment and was discharged.
Though her shop was burnt, she remained grateful to God
who rescued her from untimely death.
Another resident, a native of Orlu, Imo State who said his
name was not “important” said his people were in the morgue
of the State Specialist Hospital to look for “the corpse of
Francis, a peaceful man who did not deserve a violent death”.
“Francis was a Keke NAPEP (tricycle) operator, a father
of three who died and left an old mother in the village.I
am not a relative by blood but we are from the same
village, live in the same area here in Jos and worship in
the same Church. We met on Monday evening and as
usual, we were together discussing how business went in
the day.
“On Tuesday these evil people came, he passed by my
shop at Railway Line and waved as if he knew he was
saying goodbye”.He described the late Francis as “an
easy going man who went out in search of daily bread but
was killed by these evil people”.
Another relative who gave his name as Chilobi Amadi and the
Chairman, Railway Line Traders’ Association who was
physically shaken said he was still going round to locate his
people.
He said
“I am the owner of Do Good Curtain World, Tuesday
was terrible. I was in the shop with my wife and children.
At about to 3pm, I was expecting my Reverend who was
to come and pray for me because my business was not
going well. My Reverend later came and immediately we
ended the prayer inside my shop and I said Amen, we
heard a loud explosion."
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