By Suzan Edeh, Bauchi
Residents of Bauchi, the Bauchi State capital are still in shock over the horror of last Friday’s bomb attack which claimed 13 lives and left 34 others injured. This is even as some of the survivors have been recounting their ordeal and painful experiences.

For most of the hospitalised victims of the People’s Hotel in Bayaran Gari, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis who had a close shave with  death, the memory is one that will haunt them for a long time.

Indeed they had the opportunity to recount their experiences and thank God for sparing their lives when Vanguard Features VF visited the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Hospital where many of them are currently receiving treatment.

At the female surgical ward, Blessing Lazarus,  a 28-year-old  indigene of Benue State residing in Bayan Gari, narrated how she narrowly escaped death during the bomb incident at the hotel.

“That fateful evening, I was not feeling so well, so my boyfriend called me and said I should wait for him at the People’s Hotel where he normally relaxes after a hard day’s job. I then went to the hotel to wait for him in one of the rooms. It was while I was there that I heard a loud explosion; then something pierced and shattered my left hand. I managed to escape from the scene of the incident,”she recalled.

She thanked God for sparing her life and called on the State Government and security agents to take steps to ensure the protection of lives and property.

At the male ward, Bala Adullahi, also told VF that he was lucky to survive the bomb attack. According to him, he only sustained a head injury and minor bruises on his face.

“I started going to People’s Hotel since the World Cup tournament started because I like watching the matches in the midst of my friends. The evening of that attack, we were all watching the match with excitement when all  of a sudden we heard a loud explosion that almost deafened me. When I heard the explosion, I quickly laid flat on the ground. I was afraid that if I stood up, another one may explode or I might even be hit by a stray bullet. I lost consciousness and did not know what happened to me. The next thing I knew was that I saw myself in the hospital,” he recounted.

Giving his own account, Babaji Ahmed a student at the Abubakar Tatari Polytechnic in Bauchi said he arrived the People’s Hotel to watch a football match, only to be welcomed by the blast.

“On that day, I left my house at the New GRA for my friend’s place in Fadamada to collect a practical workbook. On the way, I decided to visit the People’s Hotel briefly to watch the football match. I had barely sat down for five minutes, when the bomb went off. I could not move because my body was badly injured. As I lay there, I heard gunshots and people screaming and running for safety. The shattered beer bottles pierced my skin and that is why you can see all this wounds on my body. But I am getting better,”he said.

Meanwhile, the Bauchi State Police Commissioner Malam Lawal Shehu confirmed the death of 11 persons in the blast. Similarly, 28 others were injured. He said that one suspect was arrested in connection with the incident and efforts are being intensified to arrest the other fleeing  suspects.

Investigations conducted

“From the investigation conducted by the Police, some suspected hoodlums were seen loitering at the premises of the brothel and the next thing that happened was an explosion. The entire surrounding of the area has been cordoned off and the scene secured by Police Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit EOD. The victims were rushed to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital ATBU for treatment and corpses were evacuated to the mortuary,”  Shehu said.

The police boss urged members of the public to always be security conscious  within their environment by paying attention to persons and objects, particularly at motor parks, market places, schools, places of worship, shopping malls, eateries and hotels.

He said: “The police has put in place a lot of strategies to fight insurgency in the state by intensifying surveillance, intelligence gathering and working in collaboration with other sister security agents to secure the protection of lives and properties”.

The Bauchi State Commissioner of Health, Dr Sani Malami told newsmen that 34 injured persons were brought to the hospital in the late hours of Friday, adding: “There are 17 others with varying   degree of injuries who are still on admission, but we are hoping that many of them would be discharged today.

A few will have to go to the theatre because of the seriousness of their injuries. Unfortunately, 13 people were so far confirmed dead. Ten dead bodies were brought to the hospital and three more victims died in the hospital,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the Management of the People’ s Hotel has decided to relocate the hotel to another state.

Speaking to VF, the Director of People’ s Hotel, Mr Ifeanyi Ezesi said that operating his hotel business in the state was no longer safe.

Hotel business

“I think the time has come for me to relocate from the state because of the continued attack on my hotel business by Boko Haram. They have already passed the message to me that my presence is not needed in the state, so I just have to leave for the security of my family. This is the second time they are attacking this hotel. The first attack was in 2012. The second attack now in 2014. I think it is high time we left,” he said.

Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, has directed that all the injured victims of the Friday bomb blast be treated free of charge. He sympathized with the families of those who were killed in the unfortunate incidence.