Almost a month after the Independence Day bombings, activities have picked up at the site of the blasts while the victims pick up the pieces of their lives. Weekly Trust revisits the Ground Zero of sorts.
Life is returning to the site of the October 1st bomb blast. If you are a first-time visitor to Abuja you may not know that anything happened, unless you are told. But most workers around the area still suffer from memories of the blast. They find it difficult to talk to people they don’t know. They suspect strangers to be covert security agents. When Weekly Trust approached a roadside phone operator who identified himself as Joe, he said business is gradually returning to normal. “We thank God that we are alive but business has not picked up like before. The thing is that I don’t answer strangers now, due to the trauma I’m suffering.”
An agent of the State Security Service (SSS) said they are still monitoring activities there. “We don’t allow cars to be parked around the area for more than an hour. If a car is parked more than an hour, we will tow it away after a thorough search.”A civil servant who agreed to speak with Weekly Trust on condition of anonymity said after the initial apprehension, they have put the incident behind them. “Our offices are here, so we don’t have a choice. We know the place is now safe, but once in a while we do have the fear that something might happen again. But as Muslims our life is in the hands of Allah.”
Haruna Hassan, a mobile police officer, who was a victim of the bombings, told Weekly Trust he has lost his sight.
“I was discharged from the hospital on the 12th of October, and even then some of us without undergoing the various operations we were meant to undergo. I was referred to the National Eye Centre in Kaduna and from there they referred me back to St. Mary’s in Gwagwalada and I have been the one footing all the bills for the trips and treatment. The only assistance that was given to us was from the First Lady when she paid a visit and gave us each the sum of N100,000. The doctors at Gwagwalada say my eyes have been damaged to an extent and they put me on some drugs and gave me an appointment the 1st of November, when the fate of my sight will be decided,” Hassan said, unable to control himself and breaking down tears. “We have been abandoned,” he sobbed.
On why he was discharged when he was yet to receive full treatment, Hassan said: “We were all told to leave on the 12th and that if we stay further than that, then we are going to pay our bills by ourselves. Most of us do not have any money and the money the First Lady gave us has been used up feeding. While we were on admission, we were not being fed despite the fact that we were said to be VIP patients. The only people I can really thank and show appreciation to are my colleagues in the office as they put together the sum of N30,000 for me. But for how long will they keep contributing for me? They too have their issues to deal with. I was only serving my country when this unfortunate incident occurred and this is all I get for serving my country.”
Abubakar Agie, an Assistant Vehicle Inspection Officer, had a similar tale to tell as he said he was also told that admission has expired and they were discharged on the 12th of October. “The only assistance was the money the First Lady gave each of us along with the provisions, flasks and a wrapper. Besides that, we got nothing else from the government. I still have hearing difficulties and there is always a whirring, echoing sound in my head that deprives me of sleep. When I was discharged, drugs were prescribed for me but where is the money to buy them? They are very expensive and the money we had has been used up in feeding. In my case, we were two who used my money as John Joshua was not on admission when the First Lady gave the cash donation, so I had no option than to share mine with him.”
“A lot was budgeted for and lots of people made promises for our treatment but till today we know little or nothing as we have been left to our fate,” lamented Abubakar Agie.
Mayowa Adeniran, an undergraduate, said his case is hopeless. “I was struggling to make ends meet before this predicament. Now I can say I have to go begging. My health is still a problem as I have no money. The money the First Lady gave me was exhausted on feeding and other things. They call the place of the blast Ground Zero, but if you ask me I am the real Ground Zero because I have nowhere to run or turn to for help. I’m devastated,” he said.
Corporal John Joshua says he was not fortunate to get any cash donation because after he was given first aid, the price of admission and treatment scared him away and he had no choice but to return home. Joshua said: “It was while at home, in pain, that the news of the federal government covering the admission and treatment of victims of the blast came and I went back to the hospital and I was admitted. But unfortunately I was not lucky as the First Lady had already come and gone. All hope was not lost though as I had a Good Samaritan amongst us that shared his donation with me. As for my health, I still have waist pains as you know the force of the blast took me up and brought me down violently. But as I said -- and will keep saying -- I take solace that I was able to save the life of innocent kids and the trauma their families will have been in today. That I was able to avert that consoles me. My reward is somewhere coming to me, if not from the government, then by the Almighty.”
Lots of promises were made after the blasts to the victims, only turning out to be empty promises. “The question on the lips of many is when will government live up to expectations of citizens? The least they can do is give something qualitative to these heroes, at least for risking their lives and saving innocent lives,” lamented a tearful Mrs. Amaka Ike.
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