The Federal Capital Territory’s
secretary for social development, Blessing Onuh, along with other
administration delegates, presented Valentine’s Day gifts, including
money, yesterday to survivors of the New Year’s Eve bomb blast in
Abuja. The delegates visited people who were injured during the bomb
blast, which occurred at the mammy market inside Mogadishu Barracks, at
the Asokoro General Hospital where they have been receiving treatment
since the incident.
Ms. Onuh told the survivors that she came on behalf of FCT Minister Bala Mohammed.
“Coming to give them gifts, show them
love, embrace them and encourage them,” she said. “I know that I cannot
heal them because it is not an automatic thing but we should give them
encouragement and make them feel loved today.”
The survivors include a military
sergeant, Fafore Aladesanmi, who lost both legs as well as a hand; his
wife and a daughter who were also injured; Agbo Gabriel, an SSI student
who lost a leg; Mike Oguntomi, a corporate lawyer; and two women who
also suffered various degrees of injuries including loss of limbs.
Eighteen people were brought to the hospital but four died later.
“Out of the 14 that were alive, we still
have six of them that are still with us here now,” said Gbenga Bello,
the doctor in charge of the survivors. “The remaining eight have been
discharged and the six are in stable condition.”
The survivors were grateful to the FCT administration for the gifts.
Dr. Bello told reporters that they were responding well to treatment,
saying that some would soon be discharged. He commended Mr. Mohammed
who, according to him, had promised to provide for all the survivors’
needs free of charge. He added that once their wounds healed, his
patients would undergo physical rehabilitation.
