By Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri with agency report
Three suicide bombers were on Sunday killed in unsuccessful attacks on Muna general area and Dusuma village.
The first bomber detonated his explosive at Muna garage near Gujeri fuel station, destroying a 45,000-litre petrol tanker waiting to discharge fuel.
The second bomber also killed himself but injured an 80-year-old man who was providing security watch to Muslim worshippers at Dusuma village.
“The bomber attempted to gain entrance into the mosque but the old man accosted and stopped him. He detonated himself and injured the 80-year-old man (name withheld). The man was rushed to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH),” a security source told TheCable.
The state police command through its spokesperson, Victor Isuku, confirmed the attacks.
“At about 0438hrs, two male suicide bombers detonated Improvised Explosive Device (IED) strapped to their bodies by Alhaji Bukar Gujari Filling Station in Muna Garage area, Maiduguri, killing themselves alone,” said Isuku.
“A truck was partly damaged. Also at Dusuma village in Jere local government area, a suicide bomber detonated his IED strapped on him killing himself, while one person was injured,” he added.
Muna has suffered not less than seven different Boko Haram suicide bomb attacks.
The town’s borders are porous and it also contends with the congestion of motorists and transporters loading consignments to Lake Chad, Niger and Cameroun.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, has directed all army commanders in the North-east to work closely with members of Civilian JTF, vigilante groups and traditional rulers to finally push out Boko Haram from the zone.
Buratai gave this order at the weekend during his visit to troops in Magumeri and Gubio Local Government Areas of Borno State.
He said there is need for the commanders to work closely with members of the CJTF and vigilante groups especially in the area of information and intelligence gathering with a view to totally eradicate Boko Haram insurgency.
He regretted the March 14 attack of Boko Haram in Magumeri and called on all commanders to work hand in hand with the people in their localities in order to ensure that there was no repeat attacks.
The COAS, who used the occasion to commission an ultra-modern mobile clinic in Gubio, said the facility is to meet the medical requirements of the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and members of the host communities more especially the troops of five task force battalions.
He said: “This is the second of such facility deployed to the theatre, the first was deployed to Damaturu but this is the first to be commissioned.
“The troops within the Operation Lafiya Dole are prone to accident during their operations and face a lot of challenges but with this, I hope it will go a long way in addressing your medical challenges.”
Earlier in her address, the Medical Corps Commander, Major General Abimbola Amosun, said the mobile clinic was donated by the German government and has 24-bed capacity, three intensive care units, laboratory, maternity and outpatient units.
She said the facility would also offer outpatient services to the people of Gubio, which according to her, would further cement civil-military relations.
The COAS also launched free medical outreach for the people of Gubio, while in Gubio, he also inspected the ongoing construction of army barracks.
