Kano explosion: Normalcy returns, parents keep kids away from schools

Normalcy has returned to Aba Road in the Sabon Gari area of Kano State where an explosion on Tuesday killed nine people and injured several others.

But most of the schools in the area have remained shut as parents refused to let their children leave their houses as there are talks that the explosion was caused by a suicide bomber.

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A Daily Trust reporter who visited the scene of the explosion yesterday observed that some shops and businesses opened, though schools and businesses linked to the scene of the explosion did not open.

“As you can see, Winners School, Winners Kid Academy and Fimbal Royal School are still shut, but shops there are open,” said a resident, Emeka John.

In addition to the schools, all the shops linked to the building housing the school, although not touched by the unfortunate incident, were also shut.

A shop owner opposite the scene who simply identified himself as Ekenna said he opened his business on Wednesday because things had calmed down.

Peter Udoko, a resident and shop owner, said his daughter was in Winners Kid Academy when it happened but that God saved her.

Malam Ibrahim Dawakin Tofa, a close associate of Vicent Ejike, the welder that died in the explosion, said they spoke a few minutes before the explosion.

“I passed by and told him I would be back shortly. Unfortunately, I couldn’t come back to meet him. It’s sad,” said Tofa.

Another business neighbour of the late Ejike who repairs power generators said he lost a very good neighbour.

“Mr Ejike came and didn’t change clothes. He was waiting for his mobile tea seller to come and serve him but he couldn’t make it,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the state and families of those who died in the explosion.

The president, in a statement issued yesterday by his media aide, Garba Shehu, said he was very sad about the incident and directed officials to provide adequate treatment for those injured.

He commended the immediate steps taken in response to the incident by the agencies of the state government, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the military, police and other agencies of the federal government.

Muideen Olaniyi (Abuja), Aminu A. Naganye & Mohammed Sulaiman (Kano)