Abuja Explosion Kills 32, Injures 23, New Telegraph Editor Among Blast Victims

Thirty two persons have been killed in the bomb blast at Emab Plaza, Abuja, while well over twenty three persons have been confirmed injured.

The Plaza is one of the most popular shopping malls within the Federal Capital Territory, Wuse 2, where laptops, mobile phones, various electronic gadgets are sold and repaired.

Newswirengr Editor who was at the scene of the blast said the bomb was placed at the exit gate of the shopping mall. About 17 cars are said to have been burnt in the explosion, which occurred at about 4pm on Wednesday. Littered bodies were seen up to the Ecobank Nigeria PLC Premises.

Ms Cynthia a shop owner who spoke to Newswirengr said “I saw more than 32 people killed as the bomb went off, the taxi drivers, pedestrians and those at the ground floor died, you know how the traffic is at this place, people driving out were all killed”.

“My friend I can’t talk now, my body is shaking, people from afar were the ones injure and that should be more than twenty three from what i saw, this place was crowded when the bomb went off.” She added.. ” Most people were rushing to leave home and the road was completely blocked, please I can’t continue. she concluded

All the glasses at the multiple blocks of shops and mall were shattered, traders running from one direction to another, brisk business owners, drivers, those at the first floor of the Plaza were the major casualties of the attack from what we saw.

The car that exploded was parked right outside the exit gate of the mall.  Actual casualty figures could not be immediately ascertained as most of the victims had been rushed to the nearby hospital.

Meanwhile, the Managing Editor, Northern Operations, New Telegraph newspaper, Mr. Suleiman Bisala, has been identified as one of the victims of the bomb blast at the Emab Plaza.

His elder brother,  Mohammed Bisala, who confirmed the death in a telephone interview with PUNCH Newspaper, said his corpse was found at the Maitama Hospital mortuary.

Mohammed told our correspondent  that the remains of Bisala would be buried in Abuja on Thursday. He said, . “Yes, we have lost Bisala. He died in the bomb blast. We found his corpse inside the Maitama Hospital mortuary. It is bad.

“I’m his elder brother. We will bury him in Abuja on Thursday.” Before his appointment in the New Telegraph in 2013, Bisala was Deputy Editor of Daily Trust.