Taraba bomb blast victims narrate how they survived explosion

 

Victims of the Taraba bomb blast have narrated how the unfortunate incident happened while attributing their survival to divine intervention.

The bomb blast occurred on April 19 at a drinking spot in Iware Town, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area of Taraba State reportedly left several persons killed and many others injured.

The Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP terrorists have claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to PUNCH, two of the injured victims, Clement Targema and Joshua Johnson, who are on their hospital beds at the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, narrated how it explosion happened.

Targema, who said he lost his wife, said he was making a phone call in front of his shop while his wife was attending customers when the bomb went off.

“The bomb might have been planted there but none of us was aware. All of a sudden, I heard a blast. I went off and when I regained consciousness, I saw my wife lifeless on the ground. Only God saved me and only God can tell how I survived. Many people died in the blast just in a matter of seconds.”

“My wife will be buried tomorrow, it’s painful that I can not see how she will be buried. I can only pray for her soul to continue to rest with the lord.”

The 40-year-old businessman, who said he had spent N43,700 on drugs and tests, added that he had been receiving free treatment since Wednesday.

“We heard rumours that the government has taken over our treatment bills and since Wednesday, they (hospital’s management) have stopped asking us to buy drugs. The Governors of Taraba and Rivers were here to see us. After they left, we were also given N5,000. While I thank them for visiting us, we want the government to do more to stop the recurrence of the incident,” he added.

On his part, Johnson, aged 23 from Mayo Reneo, said he was discussing with his friends when he suddenly found himself on the ground.

“It was at about 4pm when the incident happened. The sound of the explosion was enough to kill a person, but thank God I am alive.”

The Director, Reaching Unreached Refugees and Peace Initiative, Dr Theophilus Songo, who also condemned the attack, urged security agencies and the government to be proactive to prevent further attacks.

Songo added, “It is a wake-up call for our security agencies to brace up and tackle the ugly trend head-on to avoid a repeat of the incident. Taraba residents must equally be vigilant and conscious of the people they relate with.”