THE casualty figure from the recent Emab mall bomb blast in Abuja has
risen to 24 following the death of three more victims on admission in
hospitals.
Two of the victims died at the National Hospital while the other died at
Maitama District Hospital.
The rise in the number of the dead persons was confirmed by the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr Demola
Onakomaiya, on Thursday.
It was gathered that the FCT Administration was already
liaising with appropriate security agencies towards re-opening of the plaza to
normal business activities, days after business owners faced challenges having
access to their facility.
Owing to the planned re-opening, it was gathered that owners and
managers of the ever-busy shopping plaza have been given standard security
requirements to be put in place before the plaza could be re-opened.
This was so as the administration stood by its earlier directive for the
strengthening of security at all shopping malls and markets in Abuja,
particularly in the metropolis.
At an enlarged security meeting which he presided on Thursday at Life
Camp, Abuja, to review the security situation in the territory, FCT Minister,
Senator Bala Mohammed, directed that shopping centres and plazas on the crowded
Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2 and on all the other busy corridors in the city and
the satellite towns be similarly made to comply with the new security
templates.
He directed owners and managers of the plazas to cooperate fully with
the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and other agencies to checkmate
hawking around the shopping centres, especially in areas that are considered
soft targets for terrorist attacks.
Senator Mohammed directed all the six area council chairmen in Abuja to
commence registration of all foreigners in their respective areas, in
conjunction with officials of the Nigerian Immigration Services.
The minister instructed the council chairmen to continue with their
regular security meetings in their respective areas with the traditional
rulers, community leaders, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and other
stakeholders.
He equally directed the FCT Road Traffic Services Department and the
police to eject all persons carrying out commercial or begging activities on
the various pedestrian bridges.
The meeting was attended by the heads of the various security agencies
in the FCT, including the military, the police, the Nigerian Security and Civil
Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Brigade of
Guards, the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS), among others.
Meanwhile, the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been commended
by the FCT Minister, Senator Mohammed, for its quick response via rescue
operation a few minutes after last week Wednesday’s terror attack of the
ever busy EMAB shopping Plaza, Wuse II District, Abuja.
The coordinated rescue team of the Agency was the first to arrive the
scene of the bombing within seven (7) minutes after the blast and was able to
rescue many victims from the scene.
Speaking during the opening of the enlarged FCT Security Meeting on
Thursday, the Minister expressed satisfaction with the performance of the
Agency. It should be recalled that the FCT Emergency Management Agency received
a distress call at about 16:07hrs on the day of the bombing (last week
Wednesday) and immediately dispatched a Foam Tender- CT 274 A11, a Water
Tanker- CT 360 A11 and an Ambulance – CT 92 A07 from the Asokoro Fire Division
while another Water Tanker was dispatched from the Gwarinpa Division. The
FCT Fire Service was the first responder to the scene and they were joined by
the Search and Rescue Team from FEMA Headquarters.
The FCT Fire Service team made up of thirty (30) Officers and men was
eventually able to put out the ensuing fire from the blast early giving way for
subsequent rescue and evacuation of victims to various hospitals in the
Territory.
The Director-General of FCT Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Abbas G.
Idris said that operationally, the Agency works in synergy with its
stakeholders made up of the NEMA, Police, Military, DSS, FRSC, NSCDC, Fire
Service, Directorates of Road Traffic Services, the Red Cross and volunteers
whose respective roles are well defined and performed in the event of an
emergency.
He stressed that in the rescue operation at the EMAB Plaza bomb blast,
the FCT Emergency Management Agency, as in previous cases, successfully
coordinated the activities of these partners. It also works together with them
in preventing disasters.
“With respect to response time during emergencies, it was observed that
the Agency is probably one of the most responsive agencies in the country often
achieving an average response time of five (5) minutes to distress calls,” he
said adding that the Agency in has however vowed to continue to endeavor to
improve on its capacity to respond.
The Director-General assured all residents of the Territory that the
Agency will continue to work round the clock to prevent or mitigate disasters.
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