THE DARK CHRISTMAS OF 2010:

BOMB BLAST AT ANGWAN RUKUBA AND GADA BIYU

It was not a white Christmas for the citizens of Jos metropolis, Plateau State, Nigeria. The yuletide season with promises of joy turned out to be a sorrowful season. In the celebration of joy, terror struck .At about 7:15pm,bomb blasts went off; two in Angwan Rukuba and about 5 in Gada Biyu, simultaneously. The first blast went off in a tavern close to where I was hanging out with friends and I quickly went out to enquire what was happening.

Curiosity nearly killed the cat. The next thing I knew was I was flung on the floor by the impact of a second bomb. As the dust cleared, I was grapped by someone soaked in blood, with torn clothes and half his limbs gone, begging for help. A popular beer joint called ‘Sauki’ was the scene of a bigger blast and scores of bodies with mangled limbs were on the floor. I counted about fifteen dead and five taken to the hospital.

Christmas turned out to be hell the next few days. No rice, stuffed turkey or curried chicken but mangled human flesh, burning bodies of victims of reprisal attacks, rioting youths and burning cars and tires. Other areas like Nassarawa, Dutse-Uku, Rikkos witnessed fights between Christians and Muslims. As of today, things are a bit calm but there is still tension.

A few days before the attack, there was news that some Muslim extremists had sent out news that Jos will not celebrate Christmas. It is vexing that Government never heeds early warning signs and equally vexing is the fact that the headquarters of the joint task force peacekeeping force called ‘operation Safe haven’ is situated close to Angwan Rukuba and the scene of the blast.

Angwan Rukuba is what I will call a G.R.A (Government Rejected Area). It is the most notorious ghetto in Jos, small but heavily populated. In recent times it has been dubbed “Jerusalem” because its youths, mostly thugs and drug fiends, have been the ones protecting Christian areas.

No body knows what device was used in the attacks. The anti bomb squad that came merely looked at the scene and proclaimed it was dynamite. Methinks it was plastic bomb. Also, the Government, security forces and military have no clue that carried out the attack. I have heard that some extremist Islamic groups claim responsibility for the attack.

Jos, formerly called the “HOME OF PEACE AND TOURISM” is now the “HOME OF PIECES AND TERRORISM”.