Following the identification of 11 more bodies of Nigerians who died in the recent stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia, the total number of dead Nigerians has risen to 75.
Vanguard reports that the spokesman of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Alhaji Uba Mana, disclosed this in a telephone interview on Saturday. He put the total number of missing pilgrims at 241.
Mana had earlier put Nigeria's casualty figures at 64 dead and 71 injured.
The Federal Government has confirmed that a total of 20 persons died in Friday night's bombings in Nyanya and Kuje suburbs of Abuja while 41 people sustained various degrees of injuries.
The Acting Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Wapada Balami gave the figures at a press briefing in Abuja on Saturday. He said ;
“In the Kuje bomb blast, a total number of 15 persons have been recorded dead and at the Nyanya bomb blast, a total number of five persons have been recorded.
“The total number of injured persons hospitalised by the first responders are as follows: in Kuje, a total of twenty persons and in Nyanya, a total of 21 persons.”
He also said that government has already reached out to the families of the bomb blast victims.
Two bomb blasts which rocked a roadside market in Nyanya, an Abuja suburb are feared to have left many people dead. The blasts are reported to have happened at about 9.45 pm.
In Kuje, a satellite town in Abuja, twin blasts also occurred, leaving casualties. A female suicide bomber was said to be approaching the Kuje Police Station when her bomb went off, killing her instantly and injuring others.
Also in Kuje, the popular Kuje market was the scene of another blast which occurred a few minutes before 10 pm.
Two men on a motorcycle were reported to have approached a girl selling recharge cards with a thousand naira note. She was still trying to bring out the recharge card when they dropped their explosives laden bag and fled. Soon after, the bomb exploded, leaving several casualties. Exact casualty figures are not known at the moment.
The Army has since cordoned off the blast scenes while emergency services have evacuated the dead and injured to hospitals.
The Nigerian Army has vowed to demolish any building found to be harboring Boko Haram.
Speaking at a press conference in Maiduguri on Friday , the Theatre Commander of Operations Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Yusha’u Abubakar, said any buildings used to perpetuate terrorism would henceforth be demolished.
He vowed that the military would not be deterred in the war against insurgency, and that the timeline for the operation would be vigorously pursued.
He warned that; “Any facilities that are used to make bombs or used to dress suicide bombers would be levelled.”
Former Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, was on Friday picked up in London by the United Kingdom National Crime Agency.
Sources disclosed that the UK police arrested Mrs Madueke on account of activities bordering on fraud and bribery.
Mr Joe Abuku, spokesman of the British High Commission in Abuja confirmed that five persons were arrested by the British anti crime Agency but however did not disclose their identities.
It was learnt that the Seizure Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), an arm of the National Crimes Agency of the UK arrested Diezani and are investigating the allegations against her.
It was also revealed that Diezani was picked up by operatives of the SOCA at the behest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission which has discreetly been investigating her.
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