Victims of suspected bomb explosion in Rukubi village of Nasarawa State have called on the federal government to set up an independent investigative panel to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack.
They say they want the perpetrators of the deadly act to face justice.
In an interview with newsmen in Lafia, one of the victims, Mallam Usman Bawa, who was receiving medical treatment at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia, said the attack was “unprovoked”.
He recounted that residents of the area had come out in large numbers from their homes in Rukubi community to offload their cows on arrival from Benue State where the animals had been held for days as a result of violation of the state government’s anti open-gracing laws.
According to Mallam Bawa, while some of them were bringing down the cows from the vehicle, others were preventing them from going to the stream to drink water, having not been fed for days.
“If cows stay for days without food and they are made to drink water after they are released, they will die,” he explained.
“Among us that were affected by the explosion were those who came out to lend helping hands for the owners of the cows that were arrested by Benue State Government.” He said.
Mallam Umar Usman who was seen with multiple injuries in different parts of his body pointed out that the explosion shattered his legs but he was thankful to God for saving his life.
Another victim, Mallam Adamu Abdullahi stated that he lost three of his friends who accompanied him to the area to receive the cows while he escaped death with broken arm and deep cuts in his stomach and other parts of his body.
He said it was not clear to him whether it was airstrike or bomb and other explosive devices were planted in the vehicle that conveyed the cows.
A resident of Rukubi village Mallam Haruna Bawa who was also at the hospital to attend to his brother said he rushed to the scene of the explosion after hearing a loud noise with thick smoke emanating from the area.
He noted that he counted over 54 lifeless bodies including four of his brothers. “Some of the people who died in the attack were butchers who were invited to slaughter the cows that felt sick while in detention to avoid wastage.”
The victims of the bomb explosion were on admission at a private facility and Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia the Nasarawa State capital, with two more deaths.
Meanhwile, the Nasarawa State Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police Ramhan Nansel said security personnel have been deployed to the area to forestall reprisals.
Ramhan Nansel stated that police in collaboration with other security agencies were engaged in to restoring confidence in the residents of Rukubi village and Doma Local Government Area.
He appealed to the federal and state governments to come to their aid in order to arrest those involved, as well as calm the situation and restore normalcy in the area.