Female Suicide Bomber Kills 30 in Azare, Bauchi State

A zare, Bauchi State’s second largest town, was bombed again yesterday by a woman suspected to be Boko Haram agent.

Sources said no fewer than 30 people were killed in the explosion which took place at about 5:20 pm at Kasuwar Jagwal, a popular area in the town. But the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) last night quoted the police as saying that 12 people died in the blast with 64 others injured.

It was the second explosion in the town in one week and the seventh in recent years. Residents are now gripped with fear. In last week’s blast around First Bank, 21 people died and over 30 injured.

Many of those affected by yesterday’s blast were mostly telephone handsets and accessories sellers. Some of them are women.

An eyewitness told our reporter on the telephone from Azare that he counted 30 bodies. Many people were injured. The dead and injured were taken to the Azare Federal Medical Centre.

Azare, which is 283 kilometres from state capital Bauchi, is the headquarters of Katagum Emirate Council and Katagum local government.

Bauchi Police spokesman Haruna Mohammed did not respond to several calls.

The female suicide bomber blew herself, witnesses said.

“A suicide bomber came into the market as it was closing and blew herself up in the middle of all the merchants and their customers,” a witness said.

“I saw at least eight dead and lots of others wounded,” another witness, Alyu Habib was quoted by French News Agency (AFP).

Sources said the dismembered body of a woman believed to have detonated the bomb was picked up at the explosion site.

Source:

The Nation Newspaper