Villagers Flee Kaduna Community over Alleged Bomb Blast

Villagers Flee Kaduna Community over Alleged Bomb Blast

By John Shiklam

Residents of Kabrasha Village, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have fled the village following a bomb explosion allegedly dropped from a helicopter.

Although no life was lost in the incident, said to have occurred on Thursday afternoon, the Assemblies of God Church in the village and a nearby house were destroyed.

President of the Gbagyi Development Association (GDA), Mr. Peter Aboki who disclosed this in an interview said, before the bomb explosion, the villagers had complained of a helicopter that was always hovering around the community and dropping some things in the bushes.

He said hours after the bomb explosion, a group of armed men numbering about 100 were seen passing around the area.

He said some of them were trekking while others were riding on motorbikes, adding that one of them was carrying a strange flag while one other person was making some incantations in Arabic language.

He said residents of the village, including the village head had fled the community for fear of the unknown.

Aboki said he was not in a position to say whether the bomb was dropped by terrorists, noting that it could have been mistakenly dropped by security agencies pursuing bandits.

According to him, “the helicopter used to be hovering around the area and dropping some things. We don’t know what they have been dropping.

“Yesterday (Thursday) in the afternoon, the helicopter came and dropped a bomb and a church, Assembly of God Church was destroyed including a nearby building. Many of the villagers were in the farms when the incident happened.

“There was no casualty. Hours after the incident, a group of people numbering about 100 passed through the village carrying guns. Some were trekking while some rode on motorcycles”.

He said further that “one of them was carrying a flag which is not a Nigerian flag, one other person was making some incantations in Arabic.

“We suspect that this flag could be an insurgents’ flag. For somebody to be carrying a flag other than the Nigeria flag means something.

“People have fled the village. including the village head who told me that he is taking refuge in Gwagwada village.

“The question is who was in the helicopter dropping bomb?

Was it a mistake by security agencies that are after terrorists or what?

“We are very concerned, if it was the security agencies pursuing criminals that mistakenly dropped the bomb on the community.

“If it was a mistake by security agencies, they should come out and explain so as to allay the fears of the community”.

Mohammed Jalige, spokesman of the Kaduna State Police command did not respond to telephone calls and a text message when contacted.

Related Articles