There were two explosions through
suicide bombers last night in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital and
Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
A female suicide bomber killed eight
soldiers and injured three others at a checkpoint in Maiduguri, military
sources said yesterday.
A fighter with a civilian defence group,
Bashir Malam, said the bomber exploded the car as soldiers were
checking it outside Brigadier Maimalari Barracks on bustling Baga Road
during the evening rush hour.
Malam counted the bodies of eight soldiers.
In Yola, 19 people reportedly died from explosions in the town after evening prayers.
The explosion, at around 1615 GMT,
struck near army barracks and followed a spate of bombings in the city
by Boko Haram. The sect has killed around 80 people in the last few
days.
The female bomber, who wore a veil and
concealed explosives on her body, detonated the bomb beside a checkpoint
on the outskirts of the city, said military sources.
A resident of Yola Salihu Aliyu, was quoted by Premium Times as saying that the blast happened in front of the Jimeta main market at about 7:45pm.
“We just finished observing the Maghrib prayer when we heard a loud blast in the direction of the market,” he said.
He said the casualty figure is likely to
be high because the explosion occurred as many traders closed their
shops, and started rushing home.
“You know many traders also come out of
the market and display their wares outside the main market to also
observe the night market,” he said. “There was even traffic gridlock in
the area with many Keke Napep operators jostling for passengers when the bomb exploded.”
One witness said at least 10 people were
killed and about 30 injured. Some policemen at the scene, said up to 19
people died. They however did not want to be quoted because they were
not authorized to speak to the media.
Source:
The Nation Newspaper
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