By Zik Gbemre
It is with great distaste that we strongly condemn the recent Kaduna two bomb blast which reports say, at least 75 persons were killed, and several others injured in the two bomb blasts said to have been targeted at former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi. Though, both men escaped unhurt, however this devious act carried out by yet to be identified terrorist group, is not something that speak well of the obvious growing insecurity concerns in the country.
In a situation where a former Head of State and an Islamic cleric have become targets of assassination by unscrupulous terrorist elements, it seriously calls for concern by all relevant stakeholders in ensuring that this dangerous trend does not repeat itself. While we strongly ask that there should not be any form of reprisal attacks by any group or individuals trying to register their grievances, we also call on the Federal Government and relevant security operatives to use everything in their arsenal to unravel and apprehend the perpetrators of this bastardly act.
In a statement he issued immediately after the incident, General Buhari declared that it was an “assassination attempt” on his life and narrated how the suicide bomber tried to carry out the deadly assignment. Reports reveal that the first bomb attack took place on Isa Kaita Road, off Ali Akilu road around 12:30pm, July 23, 2014, when the convoy of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi was returning home after he gave a Ramadan Tafsir sermon to thousands of Muslims of the Tijaniyya sect. The Police said 25 people were killed, but those who spoke to newsmen at the scene said about 40 died in the blasts. Bauchi had escaped a bomb attack about three weeks ago near his home in Eskolia quarters of Kaduna. The second blast took place around 2:30pm the same day, about two kilometres away from the scene of the first blast at the busy over-head bridge at Kawo part of Kaduna town as Buhari was making his way out of town, leaving scores of people dead.
The increasing number of terrorists attacks in the country (be it kidnap cases and bomb blasts), that have continued to claim countless number of innocent lives and property worth billions of Naira, are becoming one too many for any serious-minded government to take lightly or treat with kid gloves. We have never had it this bad in the history of this country. It is as if the Nigerian Security Operatives and our political leaders are becoming helpless by the day, and running out of options on how to tame the growing insurgency activities and terror attacks perpetuated by the Boko Haram sect, particularly in the Northern parts of the country.
Nigerians need to see our political leaders and security operatives rising up to the challenge in addressing this issue. They cannot be saying one thing while their body language and priorities in governance suggest another thing. Enough is enough!
Zik Gbemre, JP
