BEVERLY HILLS, CA, January 16, (THEWILL) – A mortuary attendant at the Borno State Specialists Hospital, Maiduguri on Wednesday disclosed that 43 corpses of victims of Tuesday’s suicide bombing in Maiduguri had been deposited at the morgue of the hospital so far.
The casualty figure from the blast had earlier being put at 30 though the police said it was 17.
Speaking under the condition of anonymity, the attendant said: “Please do not mention my name but let me tell you that 43 corpses, mostly mangled, were brought in at different times yesterday (Tuesday).”
Anxious journalists eager to access the mortuary of the hospital to see things for themselves were however rebuffed by the management and heavily armed security men at the hospital though many people were still receiving treatment at various hospitals in the town,including the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).with a large number on admission as a result of injuries sustained in the blast.
Vehicular and human movement around the areas affected by the blast were also restricted as heavily armed security men kept watch over the site of explosion.
Governor of the state, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, who was away in Abuja during the explosion on Tuesday had to return to pay a visit to the scene of the incident.
Apparently overwhelmed by what he saw, Shettima gave in to emotions as he struggled with flowing tears as he stood speechless all through.
The governor, who had earlier planned a statewide broadcast, had to dash back to Abuja on the summon of President Goodluck Jonathan.
