KANO — The Igbo community in Kano, Wednesday, commenced a three day mourning over last Monday’s bomb attack at Sabon Gari bus Park which claimed more than 70 lives who were mostly people from the Southern part of the country.
Chairman of Ohaneze in Kano, Mr. Tobias Idika who announced the three day mourning said during the period, all Igbos are expected to remain at home while they will also fast and offer special prayers to avert future occurrence of the ugly incident.
The three day mourning which commenced yesterday was complied with as schools, shops were closed in the Sabon Gari area of the city. Commercial activities were completely paralysed as all the Igbos did not open their shops while security was also beefed up.
According to Idika, “what happened was a calamity and we must fast and pray to God that such a thing will not happen again.”
Mr. Idika also explained that the Igbo community was opposed to the plans by the state government to conduct a mass burial for the victims of the blast. The state government had argued that some of the victims were burnt completely beyond recognition as their relations could not identify them.
Meanwhile, Ndigbo have been advised against avenging the terrorist attack. Making the plea yesterday, the Igbo Youth Movement (IYM) in a statement by its President, Evang Elliot Uko said any form of retaliation would aid the terrorists in achieving their goal of setting Nigeria on fire.
His words: “It has become necessary for the Igbo Youth Movement to sound a note of warning to individuals and groups who are planning demonstrations and rallies of any kind against the Kano bus station bomb blasts, to sheathe their swords immediately.
“These planned protest march could get out of hand. Properties could be damaged and lives lost. We do not reply to the Kano bloodshed with more bloodshed. Painful and regrettable as the bombings were, we call on Ndigbo all over Nigeria to show restraint and maturity at this time.
“Doing otherwise will amount to eventually achieving the aim of the anarchists who bombed those buses. Their agenda is to deliberately provoke Ndigbo to revenge and kick-off mayhem that would lead to an uncontrollable conflagration. Do we play into their hands? Who benefits if Nigeria is set on fire. We plead with all aggrieved Ndigbo to remain calm and cautious.”
Uko urged the federal and state governments as well as Luxury bus unions nationwide to network and deploy bomb detectors to all bus stations across the country to safeguard lives of passengers and commuters.
“We assure Nigerians and the international community that Ndigbo will not go to war neither will our people descend upon innocent northerners in our midst. It is not in our nature. Boko Harm will be defeated. We will overcome,” the statement added.
Also, the Aka Ikenga, the Igbo intellectual think-thank described the incident as a senseless and barbaric massacre of innocent people and called on well-meaning people to condemn the attack.
Aka-Ikenga President, Chief Goody Uwazuruike said: “We call on all men and women of goodwill to rise up and condemn this horrendous crime. It should be noted that the only tonic evil needs to grow is for leaders of any type to sit on the fence. History or posterity will never forgive any one who chose to remain silent in the face of evil. Those in authority should rise up in defence of our right to life and freedom of movement and religion. Only a man who has never tasted war hungers for it. Do not forget that insecurity is an evil wind that blows no one any good. Go to Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria and see what has become of them.”
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