Boko Haram, Abuja
THE scene was horrible – burnt bodies, wrecked cars and wailing worshippers mourning their loved ones.
It was yet another bomb explosion yesterday morning. St. Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, near Suleja, a few kilometers from Abuja, the seat of power.
Scores, mostly worshippers, were reportedly killed and many more injured in the blast.
Within minutes, the news reverberated in Abuja and its environs. Churches hurriedly closed as would-be worshippers made a detour back to their homes.
Text messages of the blast some crafted outrageously added to create tension among Abuja and Suleja residents.
One of the text messages read “Boko Haram on the rampage in churches, St. Theresa Catholic Church Madalla bombed. Avoid crowded areas, including churches.”
An eye witness account said the Madala bomb exploded in a car at the church’s parking lot. The church building and others were on fire.
Most Abuja residents may not have recovered from the shock of the August 26 devastating bomb assault on the United Nations House, which left scores dead.
In June, a suspected member of Boko Haram bombed the Louis Edet House Police Headquarters, Abuja.
Inspector General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim only escaped death by the whiskers in the attack.
Not so for a security officer stationed there to control traffic. He was killed.
On the eve of the April general elections, Boko Haram struck at an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Suleja, killing scores and wounding others.
Social life has also been dealt a deadly blow.
The frightful situation brought in its wake heightened security checks by security agents. No place is spared.
From the National Assembly, which used to host all manner of visitors, to highbrow hotels frequented by foreigners, relaxation centres and night clubs, there is the fear of the unknown. Even the churches have metal detectors to frisk worshippers.
Some churches have outlawed vigils; others are building security cordons in and around their places of worship. In some churches for instance, all activities must end by 6 pm. Some that have multiple entrances are forced to block gates they cannot monitor.
But it has to be said that the phenomenon of fear is all about day time. Die hard night crawlers still do their thing in the night. Zone 4, the notorious red light area still boasts sizeable crowds of men.
High profile night clubs, especially those situated around the popular Gimbia Street Area 11, have not lost many of their customers.
But observers point to certain high class hotels, though heavily fortified, which have become no-go-areas for some people. They fear that it is a matter of time for clubs and bars to cave in, especially with government order that their operators should close shop at 10 p.m.
Some night clubs are still well patronised, but the story is different at the popular Millennium Park close to high brow Transcorp Hilton Hotel. Most of those who frequent the relaxation park have deserted the place, no thanks to the threat of Boko Haram which listed the park as one of its prime targets.
Nothing may have underscored the fact that the fear of Boko Haram has become the beginning of wisdom than the unceremonial shifting of the country’s 51st Independent Day celebration from the Eagle Square to the Presidential Villa on October 1.
Last year, Eagle Square was targeted. A group, which claimed to be the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), detonated bombs close to the Square while the Golden Jubilee Independence anniversary was in progress. Many died.
This year, the group threatened to bomb the Eagle Square, apparently prompting President Goodluck Jonathan and his security handlers to make a detour to the Presidential Villa for the Independence celebration.
The October 5 Teachers’ Day celebration, though held at Eagle Square, was a shadow of what it used to be. Many states Teachers’ Unions avoided the celebration due to the fear of a Boko Haram attack. What is more, the event, billed to start at 10a.m., did not begin until 3pm. Even at that, the Day was marked under an extra-ordinarily tight security.
It was yet another bomb explosion yesterday morning. St. Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, near Suleja, a few kilometers from Abuja, the seat of power.
Scores, mostly worshippers, were reportedly killed and many more injured in the blast.
Within minutes, the news reverberated in Abuja and its environs. Churches hurriedly closed as would-be worshippers made a detour back to their homes.
Text messages of the blast some crafted outrageously added to create tension among Abuja and Suleja residents.
One of the text messages read “Boko Haram on the rampage in churches, St. Theresa Catholic Church Madalla bombed. Avoid crowded areas, including churches.”
An eye witness account said the Madala bomb exploded in a car at the church’s parking lot. The church building and others were on fire.
Most Abuja residents may not have recovered from the shock of the August 26 devastating bomb assault on the United Nations House, which left scores dead.
In June, a suspected member of Boko Haram bombed the Louis Edet House Police Headquarters, Abuja.
Inspector General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim only escaped death by the whiskers in the attack.
Not so for a security officer stationed there to control traffic. He was killed.
On the eve of the April general elections, Boko Haram struck at an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Suleja, killing scores and wounding others.
Social life has also been dealt a deadly blow.
The frightful situation brought in its wake heightened security checks by security agents. No place is spared.
From the National Assembly, which used to host all manner of visitors, to highbrow hotels frequented by foreigners, relaxation centres and night clubs, there is the fear of the unknown. Even the churches have metal detectors to frisk worshippers.
Some churches have outlawed vigils; others are building security cordons in and around their places of worship. In some churches for instance, all activities must end by 6 pm. Some that have multiple entrances are forced to block gates they cannot monitor.
But it has to be said that the phenomenon of fear is all about day time. Die hard night crawlers still do their thing in the night. Zone 4, the notorious red light area still boasts sizeable crowds of men.
High profile night clubs, especially those situated around the popular Gimbia Street Area 11, have not lost many of their customers.
But observers point to certain high class hotels, though heavily fortified, which have become no-go-areas for some people. They fear that it is a matter of time for clubs and bars to cave in, especially with government order that their operators should close shop at 10 p.m.
Some night clubs are still well patronised, but the story is different at the popular Millennium Park close to high brow Transcorp Hilton Hotel. Most of those who frequent the relaxation park have deserted the place, no thanks to the threat of Boko Haram which listed the park as one of its prime targets.
Nothing may have underscored the fact that the fear of Boko Haram has become the beginning of wisdom than the unceremonial shifting of the country’s 51st Independent Day celebration from the Eagle Square to the Presidential Villa on October 1.
Last year, Eagle Square was targeted. A group, which claimed to be the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), detonated bombs close to the Square while the Golden Jubilee Independence anniversary was in progress. Many died.
This year, the group threatened to bomb the Eagle Square, apparently prompting President Goodluck Jonathan and his security handlers to make a detour to the Presidential Villa for the Independence celebration.
The October 5 Teachers’ Day celebration, though held at Eagle Square, was a shadow of what it used to be. Many states Teachers’ Unions avoided the celebration due to the fear of a Boko Haram attack. What is more, the event, billed to start at 10a.m., did not begin until 3pm. Even at that, the Day was marked under an extra-ordinarily tight security.
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