11 Years On, Nyanya Bombing Victims Still Await Justice
11 Years On, Nyanya Bombing Victims Still Await Justice
Eleven years after the deadly twin bomb blasts that rocked Nyanya, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), victims and families of those who lost their lives say they are yet to get justice.
The coordinated attacks, which occurred on April 14, 2014, at a busy motor park during morning rush hour, left over 70 people dead and hundreds severely injured.
The incident, later claimed by the Boko Haram terrorist group, was one of the most devastating assaults on Nigeria’s capital city at the height of the insurgency.
Despite arrests and prosecutions announced in the aftermath of the tragedy, families of victims say the legal process has dragged on without closure. Survivors, many of whom are still grappling with life-changing injuries, also lamented inadequate government support and compensation.
Speaking on Tuesday during a memorial gathering in Abuja, some of the affected families expressed disappointment over what they described as the government’s neglect. They noted that while the memory of their loved ones remains fresh, the silence of the justice system has deepened their pain.
“We have been left to carry this burden alone. Eleven years is too long to wait for justice,” said one survivor, who sustained severe injuries in the attack.
Civil society organizations have also joined in the call for accountability, urging the Federal Government and security agencies to update Nigerians on the status of prosecutions linked to the bombing. They stressed that ensuring justice for the victims would send a strong message of deterrence against terrorism.
The Nyanya bombings came less than 24 hours before the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State, two tragedies that underscored the intensity of Boko Haram’s insurgency at the time.
As the nation marks the 11th anniversary of the attack, the cry for justice remains unfulfilled, with victims and their families still demanding answers, accountability, and closure.
