Bwari crisis: Committee submits report on damages, victims

The ad hoc committee, set up to assess and collate data on damages incurred during the recent Bwari crisis, has submitted its report to the Chairman, Bwari Area Council, Mr Musa Dikko. Dikko, while receiving the report on Tuesday in Bwari, Abuja, reiterated the council’s commitment to bring succour to the affected traders in the […]

The ad hoc committee, set up to assess and collate data on damages incurred during the recent Bwari crisis, has submitted its report to the Chairman, Bwari Area Council, Mr Musa Dikko.

Dikko, while receiving the report on Tuesday in Bwari, Abuja, reiterated the council’s commitment to bring succour to the affected traders in the area.

According to him, the report would be used to attend to the welfare of the victims.

“This report is not an investigation report on what led to the crisis but a report on the number of persons, shops and owners of the shops affected both in and outside the market.

“It is to give government an idea on how to go about assisting the victims.

“I assure you that the recommendation in this report would be put into consideration and implemented immediately.

Dikko noted that investigations on what led to the Christmas day crisis are still ongoing at the FCT level, adding that the FCT Minister has constituted a panel on the matter.

He, however, commended the committee for a job well done and for submitting the report on time.

Earlier, Mrs Evelyn Chukwu, Chairperson of the committee and Secretary of the council, said that the report included the number of persons, who were hospitalised but are out of the hospital and also the number of deaths recorded.

She added that the report also included the number of traders, whose shops were burnt in and around the market, including shops on the streets.

Chukwu noted that the data collated was in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Nigerian police and the Department of State Security (DSS ).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Bwari, FCT town, was on Christmas day hijacked by suspected cultists, who burnt shops in the market and mounted bonfire and barricades to prevent vehicular movement.

The council, subsequently, set up an ad hoc committee to assess the number of people affected and damages with a view to bring succour to the victims. (NAN)