Kaduna bombings: Buhari says "bomber attempted to overtake my car"

 About 90 people have been killed in the two bomb attacks that took place in Kaduna on Wednesday. One of the bombings targeted former president Muhammadu Buhari at a busy market and a Muslim cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi who was on his way to Murtala Muhammed square.

 According to an official of the Red Cross, up to 50 people died at the scene of attack against Buhari at Kawo market. More than 32 have been reported killed at the scene of the attack on Sheikh Bauchi which happened before Buhari's.

The two targets were not injured in the attacks. Buhari was riding in an armoured SUV. 

In a short statement, issued by Gen. Buhari after the attack, he said that the bombing was clearly targeted at him.“I was personally involved in a clearly targeted bomb attack today along Ali Akilu Road, Kawo-Kaduna at about 2:30pm on my way to Daura,” He said.

He said further:“The unfortunate event, clearly an assassination attempt, came from a fast moving vehicle that made many attempts to overtake my security car but was blocked by my escort vehicle.

“We reached the market area of Kawo where he took advantage of our slowing down and attempted to ram my car and instantly detonated the bomb which destroyed all the three cars in our convoy,”

The former military leader said when he came down from his vehicle, he saw many dead bodies littered around.“They were innocent people going about their daily business who became victims of mass murder,”

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks but two areas are being looked at: Boko Haram and the politics of next years elections of which Buhari might be a Presidential contestant.

The attack on the Sheikh was clearly a suicide attack as the bomber charged towards him the moment his convoy arrived the square where a prayer was to hold. His private security stopped him before the bomb went off witnesses said.

According to the State commissioner of Police, Shehu Umar:“Somebody with a bomb vest … was blocked. He detonated the bomb along with the person that tried to block him.

The State Governor, Alhaji Muktar Yero, has since imposed a 24 hour curfew on the state.