Nigerian Court Frees Suspected Mastermind Of Nyanya Bombing That Killed 88 At A Bus Park

A federal court in Abuja has freed Aminu Oguche, the suspected mastermind of the Nyanya bomb attack in Abuja, the News Agency of Nigeria has reported.

The court struck out a two-count terrorism charge against Mr. Ogwuche on Monday, after months of trial for the April 2014 attack which killed more than 70 people.

The court hinged its decision on lack of diligent prosecution by the state.

Mr. Ogwuche, a suspected Boko Haram member, was accused by the Nigerian government of being behind the attack.
The blast at the Nyanya Motor Park occurred during morning peak hours as residents were hurrying to work.

The government said Mr. Ogwuche fled to Sudan after coordinating the attack.

On 14 April 2014 at about 6:45am, two bombs exploded at a crowded bus station 8 km southwest of central Abuja, Nigeria, killing at least 88 people and injuring at least 200.

Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the bombing six days after it occurred.

Explosives hidden inside vehicles detonated during morning rush hour in a bus station in Nyanya on the outskirts of Abuja. After the initial blast, further explosions occurred as fuel tanks in nearby vehicles ignited.

Abbas Idris, head of the Abuja Emergency Relief Agency, confirmed that 71 people had been killed and 124 injured. The bus station serves a poor, ethnically and religiously mixed community. Manzo Ezekiel, spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency, confirmed that numerous injured victims were undergoing treatment in the hospital.

By April 15, the death toll had increased to 75, as investigators continued to sift through the wreckage at the blast site.

By April 18, the death toll had increased to 88, with more than 200 reported injured.