Kano State Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has faulted reports that most of the victims of last Monday evening’s bombing of a popular luxury bus park in the state are Igbos from South-East Nigeria. The terrorist attack, which claimed scores of lives has inflamed emotions in the east, with Igbo leaders restraining angry youths from launching reprisal attacks.

However, receiving a federal government delegation yesterday, Kwankwaso, who has been under fire for not condoling Igbos, queried the claim that most of the victims are Igbos.

According to his Director of Press and Public Relations, Halilu Ibrahim Dantiye, “Gov. Kwankwaso, who read out the list of 25 casualties of the attack that are currently receiving medication in hospitals in the state capital, noted that most of them are either from Kano or Northern extraction, asserting that the list is a possible reflection of the number of those that lost their lives during the regrettable incident, which is yet to be ascertained.”

Below is the text of Dantiye’s statement entitled “Kwankwaso bemoans comments by politicians on recent kano bomb attack”:
Gov. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has described comments by some persons, whom he referred to as “Abuja politicians”, on the recent bomb attack in the state capital, as “absolute nonsense”.
He said those people speak rubbish, adding that “they should come and see things for themselves just like the Federal government sent a delegation, instead of just sitting in Abuja and making wild statements”.
In this regard, he called on Nigerians to always vote for responsible people who will represent them well and not those who will spend valuable time fanning embers of disaffection among citizens of the country.
The governor, was reacting to comments made by some Senators on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, in respect of last Monday’s suicide bomb attack at New Road, Sabon Gari Motor Park in Kano city, which were widely reported by the press.
Governor Kwankwaso spoke while receiving a Federal government delegation led by the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, who were in the state to commiserate with the people and government of Kano state on the recent bomb attack that killed scores of people and left many critically injured.
He lamented that the Abuja politicians are trying to bring ethnicity and religion into a problem that has nothing to do with both issues, stating that it is wrong for anybody to relate the bomb attack with any of those issues.
Gov. Kwankwaso said “it is time for us (Nigerians) to work as a family to bring the security challenges to an end and not to use sentiments to worsen the tension”.
Gov. Kwankwaso, who read out the list of 25 casualties of the attack that are currently receiving medication in hospitals in the state capital, noted that most of them are either from Kano or Northern extraction, asserting that the list is a possible reflection of the number of those that lost their lives during the regrettable incident, which is yet to be ascertained.
He thus assured that the state government and other stakeholders, especially the State Security Council are working tirelessly together to ensure that lives and property are protected, and that callous attacks on innocent citizens are averted.
Earlier, the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, who conveyed the Presidential sympathy message said the President “is saddened by the fact that inspite of the spirited and determined effort of the government to contain the conflict, sectarian crisis have continued to arise their heads in the state”.
Comrade Moro said the Federal Government appreciates the effort of the state government in handling the security challenges, assuring of the Federal government’s continued support to bring the problem to an end.
The Minister was accompanied by the Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada, the Minister of Police Affairs, Rtd. Navy Capt. Caleb Olublade, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. M.D. Abubakar, among others.
•Photo: Gov. Kwankwaso.