Kano blasts: Luxury bus owners seek N450m compensation from FG, Kano

Owners of the luxury buses that were destroyed during the bombing of a motor park in Kano by Boko Haram have written to both President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano seeking compensation for the buses destroyed, as well as a more secure operating environment so as to save their businesses from collapse.

The vehicle owners and operators, under the aegis of Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria (ALBON), are calling on the Federal Government to pay a compensation of N495 million to six of its members who lost their nine Luxury buses to various attacks in the Northern part of the country.

In a letter signed by the President of ALBON, Prince Ejike Okoli, and the secretary, Mr. Frank Nneji, the association said each of the vehicle destroyed in the attack was worth N55 million, thereby demanding a total of N275 million for the five buses burnt in Kano, while also seeking adequate compensation for two other members whose five buses were torched at different locations in the post-election violence of 2011. The association said the loss of its member to the post-election violence of 2011 amounted to N220 million, bringing the total compensation sought by the association for its members to N495 million.

The association is also calling on both President Jonathan and Governor Kwankwaso to compensate families of those who lost their lives in the Kano attack, as well as foot the hospital bills of those wounded and currently on admission in hospitals in Kano State.

ALBON also called on the president to direct the Inspector General of Police(IGP), to provide 24 hours security coverage for all its members operating at the luxury bus garage, Kano and in other parts of the country, while calling on the governor to direct the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Police Command, to provide 24 hours security coverage to its members operating at the bus garage in Kano.

“By targeting our members, these elements knew that the casualty figures would be high (as the Kano incident has demonstrated) since a fully loaded luxury bus carries 59 passengers. As it were, it is evident that our businesses are endangered and in the imminent danger of collapsing, hence our humble appeal to your Excellency to use your good offices to immediately curtail the widening of this scourge to our members businesses throughout the federation,” the association stated in the letter of which a copy each was made available to the Senate President, David Mark, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal.