Suicide Attack on Leprosy Centre Foiled

By Michael Olugbode, in Maiduguri and Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

Police dogs yesterday foiled what would have been a suicide bomb attack on a leprosy home in Borno State, the Police have said.

This is as a group, Concerned Professionals Congress (CPC) has dismissed claims that the recent attacks on soft targets by Boko Haram insurgents was an indication that the sect was getting back its strength to strike at will.

A a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Victor Isuku said, “Today 4/8/2017 at about 0515hrs, two suicide bombers, male and female, attempted to gain entry into the temporary settlement area for rehabilitated leprosy patients within the premises of Molai General Hospital, in the outskirt of Maiduguri township, along Maiduguri /Damboa highway. 

 “They were prevented by the persistent barking and attacks from dogs in the area.”

 He added that: “In the process, they hurriedly detonated IEDs strapped to their bodies, killing themselves. No other casualty was recorded.  “Police EOD teams were promptly drafted to scenes, to sanitise and certify the area and its surrounding as safe. Normalcy has since been restored.” 

Isuku also revealed, in the statement of another suicide attack that was foiled on Thursday.

 He said: “Yesterday (Thursday), 3/8/2017 at about 2322hrs, a female suicide bomber detonated IED strapped on her body near a joint security guard location in Molai general area, killing herself alone.”

The Concerned Professionals Congress group stated at a press conference in Bauchi yesterday jointly addressed by its chief media strategists, Mr. Emeka Nwakpa and regional Rapporteur, Malam Bala Alkassim that there was no resurgence of Boko Haram.. 

According to the group, the capacity of Boko Haram to confront Nigerian Military or takeover any territory had been degraded while the troops maintained an upper hand against and despite the risks they faced. 

“We reviewed emerging developments in the ongoing anti-terrorism campaign which some commentators have loosely assumed as a possible resurgence of terrorism in the region. 

“We beg to differ. We take the opportunity of this press conference to observe that such thinking is false, fallacious and fatally flawed. It is not a correct reading of the situation as far as fighting contemporary terrorism is concerned,” the group noted.

 

The group added that the motive of the insurgents was to attack soft targets in order to kill people and create fear in the minds of the public in order to undermine the achievements made by the Nigerian Military in the North East.

 

The group while condemning the latest attacks by the insurgents, expressed its sympathy to the families of the victims, describing the attacks as sad, vicious and wicked.

 

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the Chief of Defence Staff, the Borno State government, University of Maiduguri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and particularly the immediate families of the victims of the attacks. May the Almighty God comfort the families and grant the deceased eternal rest,” the group added.

 

It called on Nigerians to cooperate with the Nigerian Military in its fight against terrorism and other criminal activities in the country.

 

“It is another wakeup call‎ to all lovers of peace and humanity around the world to continue to speak up and step up efforts against terrorists and merchants of death who seek to bring out the worst of humanity. Humanity should have no space for them.

 

“For us, quitting and throwing our hands ‎up in despair can never be an option otherwise, doing so will amount to a mockery of the huge sacrifices of the personnel of our security services,” the group stated.