3 people feared dead as 3 TV viewing centers blown up in Jos

Posted by admin Headlines, Plateau, State News Sunday, December 11th, 2011

Three people were killed and several others injured Saturday night when three television-viewing centers on Bauchi Ring Road in Jos, Plateau State were blown off during the Barcelona-Real Madrid match.

The three viewing centers built with corrugated iron sheets, with capacity to accommodate between 500 and 1000 viewers were located at Tina Junction, another one close to Odu motor spraying shop and the other close to the city of David Peculiar Peoples Assembly were blown off using explosives about the same time shortly after the first goal of the match was scored.

One person was said to have died on the spot at the viewing center near Odu car spraying shop while another one among those wounded at the same center died at the hospital. The third death was one of those wounded at the Tina junction-viewing center. No death was recorded at the center near the church.

Information gathered by Daily Sun revealed that the men who planted the explosives had visited the areas when the match was on and the attention of the viewers were rapt on the match. In the three areas, the viewers were fortunate that the persons that planted the explosives could not enter their midst because the places were filled to the brim.
At the viewing center at Tina junction, Samson Ishaya who said he was at the viewing center when the blast was heard said the person that planted the explosive came on a motorcycle:

“We were watching the match which started around 9.45pm. When Real Madrid scored Barcelona, the fans of Madrid were jubilating. It was at this point I went to ease myself. I was outside when I heard the blast. It was my going out that saved me. The person sitting close to me was injured on the neck and leg.

“What I gathered was that two people came on a bike and they asked a man for a viewing center where the match was being watched. The man did not pay attention to them, as he was busy with his business. On their own, they were able to spot the place. When they came, to the center, one of them came in and sat down. “Shortly after he went out and the two of them went round the center as if they wanted to ease themselves. One of the boys who was later injured tended to suspect something because he warned the man manning the place to go out and take care of the security of the place instead of just collecting money from the people coming in to watch the match. It was not long after that the explosive went off.”

Samson revealed the center was filled to the brim and some people who could not get seat were on their feet and that most of those that sustained injury had cuts from the corrugated roofing sheets when they were trying to run way.
The sound of the explosive from the viewing center also destroyed the ceiling of a nearby house, even as the roofing sheets remained intact.

The occupant of the house, Mr. Hiroshima Ishiaku Nyam a worker with the college of Agriculture, Garkawa, who said his family had traveled on Friday for a church progeramme said, he was asleep when he heard the people shouting as a goal was scored during the match and shortly after he heard vibration and felt something falling on his body.

-Sunwp_posts