Tempers flare as violent youths protest Madala bomb blast

Tempers boiled over at Madala junction earlier today as a gang of aggrieved youths took to the street in protest against the bomb blast that rocked the Catholic Church where scores were reported dead.

The youths made up mainly of people of Igbo extraction, in expressing their anger about the dastardly act, set fire to disused tyres which they had heaped on the dual carriage way of the Abuja-Kaduna express road with majority of them wielding big sticks to scare away onlookers.

The burning tires created a huge smoke which billowed high into the sky. . Motorists who were either coming to Abuja or going to Kaduna were forced to turn back for fear of being attacked by the rampaging youths.

As the angry youths stowed the fire, which was added extra tyres at interval, they sang solidarity song denouncing the terrorist act while calling for the resignation of President Goodluck Jonathan over what they considered his inability to provide security for Nigerians.

The youths were seen throwing stones and sticks at policemen in sight as they accused the police of not being alive to their duty by allowing the bomb laden vehicle pass through the check points within the town to wreak havoc on the church.

Policemen deployed to the Madala junction on the way to Kaduna as well as those on Madala-Suleja road were sacked by the angry youths who were poised for war.

It took the intervention of men of the Nigerian Army (Guards Brigade Unit) deployed to the scene of the blast to get the situation under control and restore calm to the town.

The soldiers however had to use force to disperse the protesting youth.

The billowing fire on the road scared many commuters who while reversed their cars and buses in a hurry, crashed into other cars who were also struggling for right of way in the escape bid.

Many whose vehicles were bashed did not bother to create any scene in demand for repairs as most did not take time to check the degree of damage to the vehicles, but were only concerned about escaping the impending crisis.

While the angry youths charged at motorists who dare to drive near them, they were shouting at the top of their voices calling the president unprintable names while asking him to resign.

One of the protesters who spoke to Premium Times   after the soldiers had chased them off the road and clear the highway for smooth flow of traffic for passage, said they pursued the policemen away from the road because they (police) had spent months, mounting check-points on the road, but were actually not checking vehicles for possible detection of explosives but were merely extorting money from vehicle drivers who pass through the check points.