How ThisDay office was bombed – Eyewitness

Activities at the bustling Jabi Park came to a halt yesterday morning following a vicious suicide attack at the Abuja office of ThisDay newspapers, which is directly opposite the park.

 When Daily Sun arrived the scene by 11. 20 am, a large crowd had gathered at the gate of the park but the police ensured that they had the situation under control by cordoning off ThisDay premises only letting in trucks of the Abuja fire service.

 An eyewitness, an aluminum dealer at the Jabi Park, Joshua Ajudua told Daily Sun that a loud explosion rocked the park around 11am. The big bang, he said, led to chaotic scenes with people scampering for safety.
 As people in the park ran for dear lives, curiosity got the better part of people in adjoining streets such as IBM Haruna Way who rushed towards the park to find out what happened.

 One of such curious onlookers, a staff member of Chisco Transport Limited located on IBM Haruna Way disclosed that she felt the impact of the bomb in her office.“My office shook after we heard a very loud sound. That’s why I am here to see what happened by myself,” said the bewildered lady who refused to give her name. Nearby buildings, such as the Jabi Plaza, housing offices including that of Tribune newspapers as well as the Jabi branch of Zenith Bank were badly damaged by the impact of the bomb.

 The Jabi Plaza had its ceiling caved in with shattered glass doors strewn all over the floor. Vehicles parked in the plaza were also affected by the impact of the bomb with many of the cars’ windscreens and windows, seriously damaged.
 However, a visibly-shaken Ajudua gave a personal account of the bomb attack. He said the suicide bomber gained entry into the ThisDay office through the back gate.

 He said: “I was just in the shop doing my work along with other colleagues when I heard a big bang. It was a very big sound, which came unexpectedly. So people in the park started running. Even as we ran we kept asking anyone we bumped into what caused the loud noise. It was then people started saying ‘na bomb o’

 “It was then I joined those who ran into ThisDay office to rescue those who were injured and those who were killed. When we entered, we were a bit confused on what to do. Immediately we entered, we could see that it was a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) that rammed into the main building through the back gate. They didn’t come in through the front gate, which is directly opposite the park. I guess the gateman was not bold enough to ask the driver of the SUV why he wanted to enter the place. To me, the bomb exploded immediately he hit the wall of the main building because the driver of the SUV entered the place with force.

 “I cannot say exactly how many people died but the people I helped to bring out of the building who were already dead cannot be less than six. In fact, some of the bodies were cut into pieces.” According to Ajudua, other kind hearted people helped rushed survivors to the hospital. “When we brought them out, there was no ambulance. It was some people who used their cars to take those alive to hospital, even one or two taxi drivers also helped by carrying people to the hospital before the ambulances started arriving,” he said.