A twin bomb blasts have reportedly occurred in Kuje area on Friday, October 2. Another one recorded at Jukwoyi bus station after the Nyanya bridge.
Although no group has claimed responsibility for he attacks, it is believed the blasts could have been masterminded by Boko Haram insurgents.
The twin blast incident took place at Kuje market area, near the police station. The attacked site is the one close to market, it is the place where okada men usually eat and relax, Naij.com’s sources say.
An eye witness said he saw 13 bodies being evacuated to the National Hospital. Dozens of injured were being transported to the same medical institution too.
One more blast was recorded in Nyanya, close to the site of last year’s bombings (April 14 and May 1) that claimed dozens of lives. Scores of people are feared killed.
The death toll has risen to 18, as of 4pm, Saturday. Hours later, however, it was provided by the director of Public Health at the Ministry of Health, Mr Opada Balami, that 20 people had lost their lives.
The official was quoted as saying by Channels TV:
“The total number of persons that died are 20 and distributed as follows; Kuje, we have 15 persons who died, at the Nyanya site we have five persons who also died.”
Many ambulance vehicles are seen in the area. Those injured are being rushed to the National Hospital, according to the fresh update by the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA).
Below are more photos from the scene of the attack:
Meanwhile, the NEMA officials who spoke to news men said 13 bodies were recovered on Friday night from Kuje scene, while three bodies have so far be evacuated from the Nyanya scene.
However, the NEMA official statement released later says “So far (15) persons lost their lives and (41) injured were evacuated to Nyanya, Asokoro General hospitals and National Hospital Abuja.”
“We need to go to the various hospital to ascertain the immediate needs of the victims especially those in critical condition, we need to find out if anyone of them need blood.”
Meanwhile, the police is also trying to evacuate a dead body of a victim in one of the lock-up shops in the location. There are reports that the victim is a shop owner.
A nurse speaking to representatives from the ministry of health said six injured persons were brought into Asokoro hospital; five are already stable, while one of the injured persons, who is in critical condition, is in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital. They also performed surgery on the victim in the ICU.
Also, a baby was found alive, but her parents are nowhere to be found.
Another victim has just been brought into Asokoro hospital by officials of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.
SEE some photos from the Asokoro hospital below:
Meanwhile, eight police officers are stationed at the emergency department of the Asokoro General hospital where victims of the bomb blasts are being attended to. Some officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) are stationed there too.
Rescue workers loading a body to a van at the scene of Nyanya bomb blast in Abuja on Saturday, October 3.
