Soldiers’ attack Bauchi hotel with explosives, kill 14
No fewer than 14 people were substantiated dead and 28 injured when gunmen assailed a hotel in Bauchi, Bauchi State, on Friday night. Ten persons, who were among those visually examining football at a viewing centre, died immediately.
Police Public Relations Officer of the state police command Haruna Mohammed told the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday that the assailment occurred at Peoples Hotel, Bayan Gari area of Bauchi metropolis.
He verbally expressed corpses of the deceased had been deposited at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, while the injured were receiving treatment at the same hospital.
Military, police and Nigeria Red Cross personnel were already at the scene when NAN correspondent visited on Saturday morning.
An eyewitness, Malam Ahmed Maidoki, told NAN that five persons in military uniform carried out the assailment by detonating explosives and shooting at desultory.
Maidoki verbalized, “We were just sitting down, visually examining highlights of the perpetual FIFA World Cup at the viewing centre located in between the two story building of the hotel when five men dressed in military uniform strolled in.
“We thought they were security personnel, who came to relax as well. I descried they all situated themselves at the four corners of the hall.
“The next thing I aurally perceived was an explosion, after which the arena was covered with thick smoke. Shivering, my friends and I sprawled on the ground.
“We were endeavoring to get out when the five men commenced shooting sporadically at any one who endeavored to stand up, and in the process, killing many of the survivors of the blast.”
Another eyewitness, Usman Hassan, verbalized he was just about to enter the hotel when the blast occurred, coercing him to run away from the scene.
“As soon as I was scarcely far from the scene, I auricularly discerned gunshots. Few minutes later, a white Toyota Hillux conveyance zoomed out of the hotel on high speed with men wearing army uniforms,” he verbalized.
Meanwhile, the State Police Commissioner, Malam Lawal Shehu, verbalized on Saturday that one suspect had been apprehended in connection with Friday’s attack on the hotel in Bauchi.
Briefing newsmen on the apprehend made, Lawal verbally expressed the suspect was being interrogated and efforts intensified to apprehend his accomplices that fled.
The commissioner verbalized the number of victims of the assailment had risen from 10 dead and 14 injured, to 11 dead and 28 injured.
He urged members of the public to be security conscious and observe happenings within their immediate environment.
The police boss verbalized, “The general public should pay special attention to persons and objects, particularly at motor parks, rialtos, schools, places of worships, shopping malls, eateries and hotels.
“They should report any suspicious persons or objects within their neighbourhood, to the most proximate police station for prompt replication, utilizing these numbers – 08151849417 and 07013490795.”
The Bauchi State Branch of the Nigerian Red Cross has condemned the assailment, describing it as troglodytic and inhuman.
The State’s Secretary, Malam Mohammed Bashir, told the NAN that they received a call around 9.50pm on Friday about the assailment.
“Immediately I received the call, I and my men rushed to the scene to provide First Avail treatment to the victims. Afterwards, we, along with the State Emergency Management Agency, police, military and the SSS personnel, evacuated them to the hospital.
“We still carried out search and rescue operation at the scene this morning (Saturday) to ascertain that every injured person was evacuated. It was a terrible experience,” Bashir verbally expressed.
