Five Die as Suicide Bombers Hit Maiduguri

Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

Four female suicide bombers died on Friday night during an attack on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the troubled capital of Borno State.

The sound of the explosion from the attack, which echoed all over Maiduguri left one dead and 13 persons injured apart from the four suicide bombers, whose bodies were mangled beyond recognition.

Confirming the attack, the Borno Police Command Public Relations Officer, Edet Okon, in a statement said: “At about 2149hrs yesterday, 30/3/18 four (4) female suicide bombers infiltrated Muna Zawuya village in Mafa local government area, outskirt of Maiduguri.

“They detonated the explosives killing themselves and one other person (female). Thirteen (13) persons were injured and were taken to a hospital where they are responding to treatment.”

He added that: “The Borno state police command had dispatched men to the scene including men of the CTU, SARS and EOD to sweep the place and make the environment safe.”

He said: “Normalcy has returned to the area,” promising that adequate security arrangements have been put in place for a hitch free Easter celebration. He said patrol and monitoring have also been put in place in the troubled town to prevent security breach.

Also speaking on the attack, the spokesman of the military counter-insurgency operation in the North East (Operation Lafiya Dole), Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement, said: “Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole deployed at a checkpoint ahead of Muna Garage in the outskirts of Maiduguri saturday neutralised four suicide bombers comprising a male and 3 females.

“The suicide bombers were attempting to infiltrate the Maiduguri Metropolis through Muna Zawiya area at about 9.30 pm but were spotted by vigilant troops, who fired shots hitting one of them and thereby triggering a simultaneous explosion killing all the four bombers.”

He added: “Regrettably however, 18 persons were injured in the incident. The wounded have been evacuated for medical attention.”

He disclosed that “troops and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force are presently conducting cordon and search operation in the area for any other suicide bomber lurking around.”

He urged members of the public to be very vigilant while going about their normal businesses and report suspicious persons and activities to security agencies.

But a source in the youth vigilante told our correspondent on phone that seven persons were killed in the explosion, which also wasted five sheep.

The source, who spoke anonymously, said “four blasts were heard last night, were carried out by four female bombers. Three persons died apart from the four bombers, nine others sustained various degrees of injuries as well as five sheep killed during the blasts.

“The injured persons are currently responding to treatment at Borno State Specialist Hospital Maiduguri.”
The source who spoke to our correspondent at about 9am on Saturday, said: “Now at Muna garage seen ambulance transferring casualties from police clinic to Teaching Hospital. There is calm.”

In another development, the military claimed that four Boko Haram were hacked down in an attack.
Nwachukwu, the spokesman of Operation Lafiya Dole said in a statement that: “Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole on a fighting patrol have killed four Boko Haram insurgents in an ambush yesterday (Friday) in Malumti.
“The insurgents who had been routed out of the Sambisa by troops in Operation Deep Punch II were rummaging for food and logistics when they met their Waterloo.”

He added that: “The gallant troops recovered a Toyota Land Cruiser, one AK 47 rifle, 15 Rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition and one Magazine. Troops also recovered 47 Jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit from the insurgents.”