Three Improvise Explosive Device IED were defused by anti-bomb squad as two suicide bombers killed 40 people in the city of Jos.
Police and NEMA disagree on the death toll issue as there were conflicting figures of people who died on Thursday.
The spokesman of Plateau State Police Command DPS Emmanuel Abuh confirmed that sixteen were dead while NEMA said it was 32 that died during the explosions.
The Jos North Local Government area of Plateau state witnessed the first bomb blast in 2001 where the Jos main market edifice was destroyed.
The two bomber came to the market square were the people are busy chopping for the Christmas celebration.
This medium gathered that the major streets in the state capital was said to be a ghost town paralyzing. Business activities leaving sympathizers grouping and discussion those that were trapped in the ugly incident.
The relative peace being enjoyed by residents of Jos metropolis has been shattered as twin bomb blasts went off in two different strategic places of Jos metropolis on the evening of 11th December, 2014 killing scores of life and injured many others.
The first bomb which went off at exactly 6.30pm was at the central roundabout of the Ahmadu Bello Way near Mr Biggs while the second blasts which went off three minutes after took place on the street beside the terminus market.
The two scenes of the blasts were busy business areas where petty traders in oranges, onions, yam sellers, meat sellers and other various forms of petty businesses takes place majorly during evenings.
Nasiru Abdullahi, operation officer neigbourhood work in Jos North who was at the scene of the blasts shortly after, said that, when he arrived at the scene, he saw a man of age averagely between 40-45 who was already blown off holding two people who were dead with him and the man had wire of explosive device round himself which shows that he was the suicide bomber.
He stated that immediately he arrived at the scene, he counted twelve bodies on the ground who were already dead while others were shattered beyond recognition but were gathered by men of Red Cross and were taken to various hospitals. He added that most casualties were taken to Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Jos University Hospital(JUTH) and Bimgham University Teaching Hospital in Jos.
At the Plateau Specialist Hospital, the permanent secretary Ministry of Health Dr. Elias Pede revealed that some of the casualties that were brought into the hospital could not survive after operation but has high hope that most of the injured will be adequately taken care of.
Dr Elias Pede further said that the state governor Jang promised to foot all the medical bills of those that were hospitalized. According to him, ten people out of thirty casualties brought to the hospital died. But an officer of the National Emergency Management Agency who pleaded anonymity confirmed that the actual figure of the dead from the blasts was thirty two(32) but other bodies could be accounted for because they were shattered beyond recognition.
It would be recalled that the state governor Jonah David Jang had severally warned that people should avoid street trading and converging in a place in the guise of businesses pointing out that such places are usually the targets of suicide bombers. But till date, petty traders within the Jos metropolis are yet to comply with the warning.
Security personnel beef-off security network around the affected market preventing traders from getting close to the scene of the bomb explosions.
Our correspondent visited the Plateau specialist Hospital where 30 people were on admission but 10 have already died on arrival.
As a result of Thursday explosion STF driver car was damage by his colleagues when his car brake lost control and all of the heavy armed soldiers went wild shooting sporadically?
The Deputy CMD Plateau Specialist Hospital Dr. Goluwa Philimon said the hospital will collaborate with NEMA ,SEMA,to offer free treatment to the victims who have suffered severe burnt and were rush for medical attention in the twin bomb blast.
According to him, the hospital admitted 30 casualties with 10 dead and 20 people are still responding to treatment.
Philimon said ,”our major challenge is that health workers are on strike so we are calling on them to resume work and for the interest of the state”. .
Plateau state government have promised to off-set the hospital of the victims.
Speaking on behalf of Plateau state government, the permanent secretary ministry of health Dr Elias Pede said government had promised to take care of their medical bills .
He assured the general public that those victims are responding to treatment.
