Survivors of Abuja twin bomb blast talk about the horrifying experience

A bread vendor, Cletus Eze, narrated how he narrowly escaped being killed in the Nyanya blasts which shattered the rear windscreen of his Mazda 626 car.

Eze stated that he was at the roadside market to supply bread to ‘mai chai’ (fast food vendors) when the first explosion went off, sending him crashing to the ground.

“I was still trying to understand what transpired when the second explosion went off; the blasts destroyed the windscreen of my car and also parts of the body, but I am grateful that I am alright,” he said.

Another victim, who sustained minor injuries, told our correspondent that he was lucky to have escaped. The victim, who simply identified himself as Mutiu, said “It was very frightening I must confess.
That I’m alive today is God’s work. I cannot explain what I saw or what happened. I can only say that it was a horrible experience.”
Another survivor of the blast, Clement, said after the two blasts, the heightened tension and confusion that followed made some persons to run to where the explosions actually occurred.

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He said, “It was truly a confusing scenario. People, out of panic rushed to where the explosions occurred. It is better heard than experienced. The panic caused by the explosions can even kill.”

Lawal Ibrahim a shoe seller had this to say:

Lawal Ibrahim

“I was in the Nyanya market where I sell shoes, I was selling when I saw someone.

The next thing I heard was a bomb explosion that happened twice by Jikwoyi Road before 10:00 pm. Already, people had left the market remaining just a few people before it happened.

“It is the police and NEMA that brought me from Nyanya Hospital to Asokoro.”

While Joyce Bello, a food vendor said

Joyce Bello

“I am a mother of five children I sell food and go to Nyanya bus stop by 6:00 pm and close around 10:00 pm every night. I sell food in a restaurant; I was with one of my customers when I heard a terrible sound.

Both of us were struck dumb. After recovering we started running. It was while we were running that we heard the second blast. We couldn’t run again and the next thing was that I saw myself on the ground.

I saw blood gushing out of my legs. I saw a lot of people on the ground it was just my customer and I that were lucky. I couldn’t hear anything from them, they were covered in blood before someone came and rescued me and brought me to the Nyanya Hospital where I was treated.