Triple Blasts Kill Dozens In Jos; Jonathan Unveils Anti-Terrorism Measures …FG Not Serious With Fight Against Boko Haram -APC

Dozens of  people were feared dead as three car bombs ripped through a busy market in the central Nigerian city of Jos, police said  yesterday.
Plateau State Police Commissioner Chris Olakpe told reporters that  46 persons were killed  even as unconfirmed sources put the figure of the dead as high as 200.According to the police, 45 others were injured in the blasts, which happened in the New Abuja Market area of the city.
Also the Plateau State Government says it is “not in a hurry’’ to release the casualty figures from the two bomb blasts which hit the Terminus Market in Jos.
“The casualty figures have not been ascertained because the figures are still being collated from various hospitals,’’ the state’s Information Commissioner, Olivia Dazyam said.
She however said the figures would be made available “as soon as possible’’.
The commissioner said security agents had been drafted to the scene of the blasts, and advised hospitals to accept the victims and begin treatment immediately.
“Full investigation has begun on the incident. But we want people to be calm and pray, especially for the victims. We also want everyone to support the authorities in these trying times,’’ she said
Our correspondent reports that while the first bomb blast went off in the market, located at Jos Terminus, at the back of the popular Ahmadu Bello Way, by 2.30pm, the second explosion occurred about 30 minutes later.
The second blast was said to have killed more people than the first one as many residents and traders, who had fled the scene over the first explosion, tried to join rescue agencies to save the injured and retrieve the bodies of the dead.
The first explosion was said to have gone off in a Siena space bus marked Plateau XB 146 BLD at about 2.30pm.
Men of the fire service, who responded to distress calls to fight the resultant inferno, were said to have stayed far away from the market over fears that more bombs could have been planted in the market.
The injured were evacuated to the Jos University Teaching Hospital and the Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos.
Officials of NEMA, Police, Operation Rainbow and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps are reported to be battling frantically to rescue the victims.
The state capital has been thrown into serious confusion as distraught parents hurried to schools to pick their wards.
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan  has strongly condemned the bomb blasts in Jos, describing the perpetrators of this tragic assault on human freedom as cruel and evil. He has also directed all relevant agencies to mobilise support and relief efforts in aid of the victims and extended his sympathies to the affected families and persons.
According to a release by his spokesman Dr Reuben Abati, President Jonathan assured all Nigerians that government remains fully committed to winning the war against terror, and that the administration will not be cowed by the atrocities of enemies of human progress and civilization.
He said President Jonathan has also expressed Nigeria’s deepest appreciation to the international community on the success of the recent Summit in Paris on the security situation in Nigeria hosted by the President of France,  Francois Hollande.
Abati said the president reaffirms Nigeria’s commitment to the implementation of the resolutions reached by the Summit, in addition to existing measures already being taken by the administration to combat terrorism and ensure the safety of lives.
He said, “President Jonathan states that the Federal Government of Nigeria is prepared to strengthen existing mechanisms to ensure the immediate implementation of the resolutions of The Summit, among which are”,:
That every necessary measure should be taken to find the school girls abducted by Boko Haram terrorists from Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on 14th April 2014;
That Nigeria and other countries in the sub-region will continue to co-operate and co-ordinate efforts to combat the Boko Haram menace.
That the Heads of State have agreed that each country will contribute one battalion of troops to the international force set up to patrol the border areas, in line with the Resolution of the Lake Chad Basin Commission. France, United States of America and the United Kingdom will extend technical assistance to achieve this objective;
That the countries will come together to put in place an effective border management regime;
That no effort will be spared to stop the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and the supply of arms and equipment made available to terrorists.
The release further stated that President Jonathan considers these measures very useful aspects of the concerted international effort to combat terrorism and put an end to the Boko Haram menace.
In addition, the President, directed relevant government agencies to ensure enhanced implementation of the following programmes in the areas affected by Boko Haram atrocities:
(i) Emergency relief assistance: The intensification of on-going relief assistance programmes by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)) in partnership with donor agencies. The programme will ensure rapid deployment of relief assistance to the affected local government areas and communities. This will include provision of food supplies, medical supplies, basic relief commodities, and conditional cash transfer programmes for affected households;
(ii) Rapid needs assessment: To support additional intervention programmes in the region, the President has also directed that on-going rapid needs assessment by government agencies should be accelerated to identify affected communities and households and assess the extent of damage to public and private infrastructure, amongst others.
(iii) Safety of schools: President Jonathan has also reiterated Nigeria’s determination to ensure the safety and security of schools in Borno and other parts of the country and also provide counselling services to any affected students to enable them return to school and continue with their academic work.
Furthermore, the Federal Government of Nigeria will rebuild the Chibok School and fortify security in schools. In collaboration with the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Education, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the private sector, the government will launch the “Safe Schools Initiative” which will address security issues; re-build the destroyed schools; and provide equipment and materials.
In a related development, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday  ordered the deployment of more troops to reinforce the on-going military operations in the North East part of the country.
The Coordinator of the National Briefing Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, disclosed this at the routine daily briefing on the current and developing trends in the country, particularly the attempts to rescue the abducted schoolgirls.
“President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the deployment of additional troops to reinforce the on-going military operations in the North Eastern zone of the country”. This action came as part of efforts to checkmate the activities of the Boko Haram in the region and also strengthen the President’s resolve to rescue the missing girls,” Omeri said.
Meanwhile, the All Progressive Congress National Publicity Secertary,  Alhaji Lar Mohammed has condemned Federal Government handling of the Boko Haram menace. Mohammed who expressed the party’s concern over the security challenge facing the country, announced APC’s willingness to partner with the Federal Government to tackle the menace in the country.
He advised the Federal Government to adopt a holistic approach in the fight against the insurgency in the North-East and emphasised the need for government to shun party differences and extend hand of friendship to APC with a view to forging a common front against terror groups.
The APC spokesperson said “a party that controls 16 states, over 40 senators and 150 members of House of Representatives is too big to be ignored at a critical time like this in the life of our nation.’’
He, however, cautioned against politicisation of the fight against Boko Haram and urged all stakeholders in the Nigeria project to be sincere and patriotic adding that “APC remains committed to a non-partisan approach to end the Boko Haram scourge.’’
The former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, lauded international community’s support to the fight against insurgency in Nigeria, saying “it is a good step in the right direction.’’
The meeting was attended by Muhammadu Buhari, , Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo, ex-governors Ogbonnoya Onu and Danjuma Goje, among others.

Picture shows volunteers picking up some of the dead victims of the Jos blast into a van after the explosions yesterday while (inset) is a scene of one of the bomb blasts