7 Unijos Medical Students Feared Killed In Bomb Blast

The University of Jos was, yesterday, thrown into mourning when news hit the campus that a yet to be ascertained number of students, including seven 500 level medical students died in the bomb blasts on Tuesday.

According to Christiana Paul, a 500-level Medical Laboratory Science student of the University of Jos, said seven of her course mates died in the blast.

She said five of the corpses had been found, two at the Plateau Specialist Hospital Mortuary.

“The seven of them are my course mates, we are in 500-level. They went to Terminus to shop and the bomb caught up with them. Two bodies are here at the Plateau Specialist Hospital Mortuary,” the student said in tears.

“Also at the mortuary of the Jos University Teaching Hospital temporary site, which is adjacent to the blast scene, the corpses, about 100, were piled upon themselves and thus difficult to count.

“The situation was similar at Bingham University Teaching Hospital.”

In most of the hospitals visited, officials declined comment as they were busy trying to attend to injured victims.

However, a medical personnel at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH, who pleaded for anonymity told Vanguard that about 120 corpses were brought to the hospital, while injured persons were rushed to the permanent site for medication.

No group has claimed responsibility for the blast although it is believed to have been carried out by the extremist Boko Haram sect.

Meanwhile, authorities of the University of Jos said, yesterday, that it was investigating the report that 16 of its students were among the dead in the twin bomb blasts on Tuesday in Jos which claimed 118 lives and left over 100 others injured.

The Institution’s Deputy Registrar, Information and Publicity, Mr. Steve Otowo said he could not confirm the information as the institution was still investigating the issue.

Otowo told Vanguard: “I personally went round the various hospitals yesterday but no such thing was recorded. The only student at the Plateau State Specialist Hospital with the University of Jos as his address was treated and discharged.

“I also learnt from a Medical Laboratory Science student that seven of her course mates died in the blast. She said five of the corpses had not been found but two were identified at the Plateau Specialist Hospital Mortuary”.

Otowo maintained he visited the temporary site of the Jos University Teaching Hospital where he saw two unidentified corpses while the mortuary attendant said no corpse was registered with the university as an address.

“We are still investigating and will have the true picture by tomorrow (today)”.

Similarly, the State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Barr. Olivia Dazyem who had earlier gone round the hospitals where the victims were being treated told Vanguard she was yet to confirm the report.

“I am yet to confirm it. I got information that some UniJos students were passing around. Investigation is on to confirm the authenticity of the claim. We will get the true picture soon,” she said.