…. as FG vows to fish out bombers of UN House
BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI, OKEY NDIRIBE, CHRIS OCHAYI & VICTORIA OJEME
ABUJA—Tears flowed freely yesterday in Abuja as sympathisers and relations of victims of the UN house bomb blast of August 26 relived painful memories of their loved ones during the memorial service organised for those who died in the incident.

It was an emotional scene as everyone within the vicinity who sighted the two large banners bearing portraits of the victims, positioned at the entrance and exit fought back tears. The event vividly portrayed a gathering of people overwhelmed with anger, pain, and frustration.

A grieving family at Memorial Service for those who died in the August 26th Abuja UN House Suicide Attack held yesterday in Abuja.

It was a very solemn occasion such that despite the presence of loud speakers and military bands, playing to herald military segments to the ceremony, the atmosphere was still sombre. Nevertheless, relatives of some of the victims who attended the event spoke about their predicament.

One of them, a middle-aged widow who simply identified herself as Mama Iliya spoke in Hausa.

She said: “Iliya my son was killed by the blast, he was the first of my eight children and he was the breadwinner of the family. My late son had five children and his wife is pregnant. Now who will take care of his seven brothers, five children and his pregnant wife?” she asked.

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She also narrated with tears flowing, how she lost her husband just three months ago.

She urged the Federal Government to provide security for the nation, adding that much prayers were really needed in the country so that God in his infinite mercy would bring peace.

“May God forgive the perpetrators of the bombing incident”, she said.

Pius Ekweribe is the younger brother of Patricia Ekweribe who was also killed by the bomb blast.

He said his late sister worked with Six Continents Travel and Tours Company which was located inside the UN House.

Recalling the events of that day he said: “On that fateful day when we heard the news of the bomb blast at Abuja, we called her three telephone lines but she didn’t pick any.

Later on my younger brother who lived with her got a call to come and identify her. When he got to the UN building, there was a heavy security presence. I and other members of our family were worried that we couldn’t get in touch with my late sister. We were worried and tensed.

All of us were scared that we had not heard from her. We expected her to call and tell us that there was a bomb blast in Abuja but it didn’t happen in her area; but still we didn’t hear from her. Our parents who are based in Benin were worried too. We called my younger brother who was living with her to enquire on her whereabouts. All members of the family became very worried. When my brother saw the situation of things at the UN building, he went to check for Patricia’s corpse at the National Hospital Mortuary.

“When my younger brother was taken into the mortuary, he identified our late sister with her engagement ring which was still on one of the fingers on her left hand. That was how we confirmed that she was among those who lost their lives in the blast.

“After my younger brother confirmed what happened and relayed the message to Benin, our family sent three representatives including an uncle named Mr Felix and myself to travel down to Abuja to see things for ourselves.

“We arrived Abuja on Saturday. But it was the following Sunday we went to the hospital to identify her corpse. Since then, my parents and the rest of us have been pained by the loss of Patricia. It was a big loss to the family” he said.

He said she was buried last Thursday at Igwurude Olomoro community in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.

He lamented that since the incident happened, his family had not been contacted by either the Federal Government or the UN in Nigeria.

According to him: “After the incident, one of our relatives came all the way from Warri to find out what the management of the company she worked for could do to assist in the burial of our sister. When we contacted the Managing Director of Six Continents Travels and Tours and asked him what was his plan for the burial of our sister, he said it was the responsibility of the UN to pay the bills for the burial and other expenses we had incurred.”

He said it was just last week when his family informed the MD of the company that they were about to bury his sister that he sent N50,000.

“We assumed that since our sister hadn’t been paid her August Salary, the N50,000 the MD sent was her salary for that month because she was supposed to have been paid at about the time the bombing incident occurred. We cannot regard that money as a form of assistance for Patricia’s burial”, he said.

He continued: “When we contacted an official of the UN, he said the global body would only be responsible for the burial expenses of UN staff only. He also advised us to contact the management of Six Continents Travels and Tours for financial assistance for our sister’s burial”.

FG vows to fish out bombers of UN House

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government to fish out the perpetrators of the August 26 bombing of the United Nations House in Abuja.

President Jonathan who was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb. Olugbenga Asiru during the memorial service for the deceased, reiterated government’s earlier position on the act of terrorism. He said it was evil and disheartening, while calling for immediate rehabilitation of the UN building.

The president expressed the Federal Government’s commitment towards ensuring that such an incident never re-occurred, adding that his administration would continue to work with the United Nations as partners for peace and development.

He said: “I will also ensure the immediate rehabilitation of the UN building. Government will also ensure that those responsible for this terrible act are brought to justice”.

He used the opportunity to express appreciation to the medical personnel, security and emergency services for the good work they did on that day, and thanked all those who have expressed support and condolences to the government, including prime ministers and other dignitaries of various countries for their messages of support over the incident.

UN is re-assessing security in Nigeria – Banki-Moon

In his message at the event, the UN Secretary General Mr. Banki- Moon, who was represented by the UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Daouda Toure affirmed that the Nigerian government was investigating the attack, with help from other countries that have the relevant expertise and capacity.

Said he: “The United Nations is reassessing security both in Nigeria and elsewhere, giving the implications of what was the first attack of its kind in this country.”

He commended staff of the U.N for their resolve to continue to work and adapt to the new and more difficult circumstances in which they now operate.

“Our work is with people, and would suffer if we are confined to a fortress-like environment. Yet our work also depends crucially on safety. This is the conundrum that we face and that is the balance we must strive to find”, he said.

Moon said the gruesome incident of August 26th brings to mind the very important nature of the work of the United Nations.

According to him: “This attack is against every principle and value of the United Nations. It was a demonstration of ignorance of the work and mission of the United Nations as a global moral voice, a non-political and non-sectarian organization committed to working with different partners to alleviate human suffering, promote peace, human rights and solidarity and improve the structures and capacity of governance to deliver human and economic development”.

There was also laying of wreaths at the cenotaph in front of the UN building by various dignitaries who attended the occasion. Among them were Amb. Ashiru on behalf of President Jonathan. Others who also laid wreaths were Toure, Senator Nwagwu who represented the Senate President, Senator David Mark; Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed; Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu; Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshall Oluseyi Petinrin; Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Onyeabor Ihejirika; the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim who was represented by the Commissioner of Police incharge of FCT; President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor; Chief Imam of the Federal Capital Territory; two representatives of the bereaved families; Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Amb. of Burkina Fasso who was represented by Ambassador of Tanzania; President of the Federation of UN Staff Association of Nigeria.

There was also a guard of honour and a six-gun salute by troops of the United Nations.

Apart from those killed during the blast, a total of 116 people were injured and received medical treatment after the explosion. This included 64 U.N staff members, 36 non-UN staff and 16 persons that were yet to be identified.

Among those wounded, 17 seriously injured victims were evacuated to South Africa for specialist treatment.

Olubolade summons Police Commissioners

Meanwhile against the backdrop of current security challenges facing the country including the Boko Haram terror attacks, bombings of the Police headquarters and the UN house, kidnapping, and other criminalities, Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd) yesterday summoned a meeting of all the state commissioners of Police, Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police, and the Police management team led by the IGP, Hafiz Abubakar Ringim to a stakeholders meeting in Abuja.

At the occasion, the minister disclosed that it has become expedient for Police Training Manuals and training methods to be reviewed to meet modern trends and challenges, pointing out that modern equipment and gadgets must also be provided for the Police to confront these challenges headlong.

According to the minister, “We all know that these challenges are there and causing the nation some headache. The Jos crisis is there, issues of assassinations in the past which are still unresolved are there and new criminalities are evolving by the day. But I strongly believe that the Police force have the personnel that have been adequately trained within and outside this country to tackle these problems. So these problems are surmountable’.

“But we must provide the equipment and other gadgets needed to achieve success. We will need to reactivate the Police Forensics department and bring it up to date. We have to put in place, a workable Criminal Data Base for the Nigeria Police force. Time has also come to set standards for our officers and men. By this I mean that officers, who have gone on professional and specialized courses, should be posted to areas where they acquired specialized training. Only officers who have gone on promotional courses will be given higher positions”.

Emphasizing that the aspect of intelligence gathering in the force will be given additional impetus, Olubolade said, “We will procure modern scientific intelligence gathering gadgets and also train the personnel on how these gadgets will be utilized to achieve optimal results. We must sharpen our intelligence operations in the police”.

Regretting that funding of the Nigeria Police force was a big problem, the minister promised to take up the matter with the appropriate authorities noting that in the area of insurance benefits for dead police officers for instance, it was terribly poor.

He frowned at the living and working accommodation of Police officers saying “they are mostly substandard. The truth is that if you want to get the best out of personnel, the issue of welfare must be taken seriously and from what I saw when I visited some police units, I am afraid the standard of the accommodation is poor. Don’t be surprised if you find me demolishing those shanties and bacha’s, when I come visiting your commands or units”, he said.

“Of course if the shanties are demolished, new accommodation that is befitting will be constructed” he said adding that, “plans are afoot to begin joint training exercises between the Police and the military following agreements reached between him ,the minister of defence and the service chief of the Army, Navy and Airforce.