Eighteen bodies that remained unclaimed in the aftermath of the St. Theresa Catholic Church bombing in Madalla, Niger State have been given mass burial.
The mass burial was carried out by the Niger State Government.
Over 40 persons died in the blast over which one Kabir Sokoto was arrested.
Sokoto, however, escaped in circumstances that have cost the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, and a Commissioner of Police, Zakari Biu, dismissal from the Force and a proposed trial.
The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Mohammed Shaba, said the bodies were buried since they were already decomposing and no one was coming forward to claim them.
He said the government has commenced the payment of compensation to the families of the victims, adding: “We have paid N27 million out to the families of the victims, whose relations had been verified, after thorough investigation by the church and the state government, to avoid fraudsters cashing in on the situation for their personal gains.
“However, we are yet to verify any relations of these categories of the deceased persons, who were not members of the church but passersby killed by the bomb blast.”
Shaba said the Niger State Government had so far spent over N10 million for the treatment of the 84 persons injured during the blast.
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