President Jonathan Visits Nyanya, Abuja Bomb Blast Site, Says Boko Haram Is Temporary

 Residents of Nyanya, a settlement just ouskirt of Abuja, the nation’s federal capital territory, were brutally woken up this morning by bomb blast that sent many people to their early graves, even as President Goodluck Jonathan described the issue of Boko Haram as temporary, with assurance that “we will get over it.”
He had earlier canclled his visit to Ibadan to visit the scene of the incidence as well as the hospitals where the injured have been taken.
Information had it that no fewer than 200 people died in the early morning explosion, though there has not been any official pronouncement yet.
It was gathered that many vehicles, including about 12 government-owned high capacity buses operated by the Abuja Mass Transit Company Limited, were destroyed in the attack.
Some of the buses which were caught in the middle of the explosion were said to be loaded with passengers.
The bomb exploded in a highly populated motor park in Nyanya and at the peak of time when workers were going to their workplaces in the Abuja city, especially, in what is usually thick vehiculer traffic holdup.
Eye witnesses suspected that the bomb might have been planted by a suicide bomber.
Some of the dead victims and the injured have been taken to hospital by ambulances and vans belonging to security agencies, including police, Vehicle Inspection Office, Federal Road Safety Commission, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the National Emergency Management Agency.
President Jonathan, at the site of the bomb blast in Nyanya and Asokoro General Hospital today, assured that his government will continue to work very hard.
“The issue of Boko Haram is temporary. Government is doing everything to make sure that we move our country forward in spite of all the distractions that want to take us backward.
“We promise that we will get over it.”
While acknowledging the pain in losing so many people through the explotion, the President however, commended security services ‎for their prompt action.
He expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the explotion, even as he appealed to the media and other Nigerians to come up with enlightenment programme for the people.
According to him, countries that face similar terrorism used to take time to develope great awareness, adding: “if there are unusual movement of vehicles and bags, they called security and base on this, a lot of incidences are contained.”
Jonathan believed that if people would become observant and they become security conscious by the movement of people, their would be reduction in some of these incidences.
“We will do our best‎. The security services will continue to work very hard. God willing, we will get over it. The issue of Boko Haram is temporary, surely we will get over it.”
He had earlier ordered heightened security in Abuja following the Nyanya bombing.

The President was accompanied by the Senate President, David Mark, Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, Chief Of Defence Staff and other service chiefs, Ministers and other very senior government functionaries.