A
man who lost his four sons in the 2010 car bomb attack which killed 12
people at the federal capital, Abuja, has reacted to the life sentence
handed to the masterminder, Charles Okah.
Donatus Arau
Charles Tombrah Okah, the alleged mastermind of the 2010
Independence Day bomb blast that left twelve persons dead at the Eagle
Square in Abuja, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Abuja
Division of the Federal High Court.
While speaking in an exclusive interview with The SUN, Donatus
Arau, who lost his four sons to the October 1, 2010 Eagles Square bomb
blast in Abuja, said though justice has been done eight years after, he
is still greiving.
He said the Federal High Court’s sentencing of Charles Okah to life
imprisonment for his involvement in the attacks in Warri, Delta state,
on March 15, 2010, and Abuja on October 1, will not in any way bring
back his sons nor change his near destitute state, saying he can barely
survive these days with the rest of his family.
Arau, an indigene of Nsukka, in Enugu State, who was at the time a
trailer driver with Julius Berger, is yet to come to terms with the fact
that the twin bomb blasts of October 1, eight years ago, claimed the
lives of his three sons Ambrose Onyeme Ozioko, his nephew (27), John
Chidera Arau (11) and Paul Onyekachi (7) and the driver, Alfred Ona
(32), an adopted son even though they were both working for the same
company.
Alfred was on duty on that fateful day, as he was one of those who
took Julius Berger workers to Eagles Square to participate in the
Independence Day celebrations march past. Donatus and his wife Lovelyn
had left the house as early as 7 a.m. for a family visit, and thus were
not at home when the three boys decided to accompany Alfred to watch the
show at the Eagles Square.
According to Arau, Alfred had always taken the boys out once in a
while for a drive around town, especially when he was taking the Julius
Berger workers to work. So, when he called their parents on phone to
inform them that he had taken the them to Eagles Square, they never
expected the worst, though they would have wished they had not
accompanied him on that particular day.
When contacted on phone to react to the life imprisonment handed
down to Okah and Nwabueze, Arua who now lives in Nasarawa State, said he
still misses his children.
“If they have convicted the man behind the bombing, all well
and good; but please don’t ask me to comment. Will that in any way bring
back my sons?
"I can barely take care of my wife and three daughters. It’s
been tough on us as you can imagine. I lost my job as a result of this
incident, though it was not immediate. Eight years after, even with the
conviction, we are still in pain.”
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