Bishop Emmah Isong
Diana-Okon-Effiong, Calabar,
Bishop Emmah Isong, Chairman, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) Cross River Chapter says Nigerians are by no means traumatised by the Abuja bomb blast which claims many lives Monday.
Isong who is also National Patron Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) stated this Monday in an interview with our correspondent on Monday.
According to him the morning rush hour bomb which reportedly killed at least 71 people at a Nigerian bus station at Nyanya on the outskirts of Abuja was traumatic and frightening.
“I believe that Nigerians have been traumatised by this unfortunate incident. We commiserate with families of those who lost their loved ones. Our condolences also go to them.
“For the security forces this is one act more than enough. Nigerians are tired of the porousness of our cities in the north and now of our Federal Capital Territory. It is getting frightening if Abuja and its environments are not safe.
“It means that our villages are also not safe. My only fear is that people that perpetrate this fearful act are supposed to be claiming religious extremism.
“I doubt if they are able to find out if those who died are Christians or Muslims. I believe their own brothers also have died in this blast. And that leads us to another theory that the perpetrators are not Nigerians,’’ he said.
He called on government to empower the nation’s security agencies to reinforce the security of our land borders and our airspace as well as Nigeria’s maritime domain to stem its internal security challenges.
He also called for the National Identity card scheme to identify all Nigerians, adding that Nigeria n government and security forces should always be alive to their responsibility of securing lives and property.
Media reports say President Goodluck Jonathan pointed the finger of suspicion at Boko Haram, although there was no immediate claim of responsibility from the Islamist militants group.
Jonathan also denounced “the activities of those who are trying to move our country backwards” by staging such an attack.
He said: “we will get over it … The issue of Boko Haram is temporary’’
He also called on Nigerians to be more vigilant in the face of suspicious characters.
Sixteen buses were torched in Monday’s blast and another 24 damaged, police spokesman Frank Mba said.
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