Terrorists Almost Bombed Me Near Kawo Bridge In 2014 – Buhari

By Bolaji Ogundele and AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna – The Nation

President Muhammadu Buhari has recalled how he narrowly escaped being killed by car bombers around the defunct Kawo bridge in July 2014.

The President spoke while commissioning the 1km Kawo overhead bridge constructed by Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s administration.

Buhari, who is on a two-day working visit to Kaduna State, commended El-Rufai for committing himself to change Kaduna.

The President, who arrived in Kaduna on Wednesday night from Banjul, Gambia, flew to Kafanchan on Thursday morning to commission Emir Road, Katsina Road and Dan-Haya Road.

Speaking while commissioning the reconstructed Kawo Flyover, an almost one kilometre long dual carriageway with three ground rotaries, Buhari said, he was trailed by car bombers who attempted to kill him around the bridge in 2014.

According to him: “The bombers were trailing us, they wanted to blow me up but my escorts somehow blocked them. But before we came to this bridge, the attackers became desperate, there was a small market or something like that, here then, then they exploded the device, but God protected us. And here I am again. Thank you your excellency.”

Speaking while commissioning the redesigned and redeveloped Murtala Mohammed Square Kaduna, Buhari said with the new infrastructural developments, the Governor has done what was expected of him and Kaduna State has become a state of choice.

The President also commissioned other completed urban renewal road projects, including the 5.6km Aliyu Makama Road, the multi-storey Basic Education Mega-School in Lokoja Road in Rigasa, and the dualised Yakubu Gowon Way and Leventis Underpass.