Plan Gone Wrong -- Suicide Bomber Dies In Failed Jos Bombing Yesterday Night

            

An attempt by a suicide bomber to kill football fans in Jos on Saturday night was unsuccessful but he was killed in the blast.The bomber, who approached Jos viewing centre while people were watching the match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, could not get there before his car exploded. It was a few minutes into the second half of the match.A source close to the scene told one of our correspondents that, “The suicide bomber wanted to attack a viewing centre where Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid fans were watching the UEFA Champion League final.”

The blast followed the twin blasts, which occurred in the same city on Tuesday. The Tuesday explosion killed no fewer than a hundred people and left many others wounded and hospitalised.

Although information about the Saturday night blast was sketchy, the bomb was said to have been planted in a car, near a car stand where some youths were watching the match.

It was gathered that the bomb exploded near a residence injuring the owner of the house and his son. The bomber and two others died in the blast.
The sound of the blast, according to eyewitnesses, reverberated round the city and was heard around Angwan
Rogo area of Jos North, behind the temporary site of the University of Jos. The sound was, reportedly, so loud it shook most buildings around the area. It was heard as far as Bukuru in Jos South, about 12 km from Jos.

A resident, Sani Mudi, who lives around Bauchi road told our correspondent that all the residents of the area rushed out of their houses, trying to fathom where the bomb exploded.

The spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, Mrs. Felicia Anselm, confirmed the blasts. Another police source confirmed the bomb exploded at a television viewing centre, where some youths were watching the match.

“It is really a bad situation, the source said, adding, “but the details will be known by day break.” In a statement on Saturday night, Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, urged the people of the state to remain
courageous. He said it was sad that the attack was coming
barely four days after a similar one. He vowed to ensure that
the masterminds are tracked down.

Independent but unconfirmed sources had had put the casualty figure from the Tuesday explosions at above 100 persons. This figure by eyewitness, however, contrasted with that given by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Olakpe, who said 46 people were killed while 45 other were wounded.

The first bomb on Tuesday, which was said to have been detonated by a suicide bomber in a Fiat car, happened at about 3pm when the market was at its peak.

The second blast went off in a Sienna space bus, parked about 20 metres away from the site of the first explosion.

Eyewitness said the bomber in the Fiat car stopped it abruptly along the busy Muritala Mohammed Highway, very close to the burnt Jos Main market, left it for minutes to obstruct traffic and cause enough build-up of cars behind. He was said to have returned shortly after and detonated the bomb.