A suicide bomber, suspected to be a member of the terrorist sect, Boko Haram, early on Tuesday detonated an Impoverished Explosive Device at the Maiduguri Monday Market, killing about 17 persons. Sixty-nine persons were reportedly injured in the attack.
In Kaduna, an explosion occurred around the Asikolaye/Bakin Ruwa area, along the Kaduna western bypass, late on Tuesday. The casualty figure was not available as of the time of this report, witnesses however said many were killed and several injured. The explosion reportedly shattered the glass windows of some of the surrounding buildings.
“They were grenades of low calibre. The first one exploded and the other was defused. It happened in an isolated place, so it did not kill nor injure anybody. We have visited the scene and we are investigating the matter.”
Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Mr. Ibrahim Maishanu, told Punch on Tuesday.
Information Officer, National Emergency Management Agency in Kaduna State, Halima Suleiman, confirmed the explosion to a Punch correspondents on the phone around 9.45pm.
The Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State, Umar Shehu, confirmed the incident but said that the blast caused no death. He said only two people were injured.
Halima Suleiman explained that the bomb was planted near a makeshift shop where provisions were sold but that it was unlikely that the casualty figure would be high since many people had gone for prayers at a nearby mosque
She said, “We don’t have any casualty figure at the moment but rescue operations are still on. Our officials on the ground said there were pieces of shattered windows. We learnt that a bomb was placed near a container shop that sells provisions.
“We were told it occurred when most people had gone to pray. I will inform you of any development later.”
The attack on the market in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, occurred at about 8.30am and was said to have affected mostly petty traders and members of the youth vigilante group, popularly called Civilian JTF, in the area. Nine members of the vigilance group were said to have died in the attack.
The Chairman, Sector 3 of the youth volunteer group, Iliya Saidu, said the vehicle carrying the IEDs broke the mirror of a commercial motorcycle, popularly called Keke NAPEP, following which an altercation ensued and many people were attracted to the scene, including members of the Civilian JTF.
He said it was in the process of settling the quarrel with the Civilian JTF assisting to push the vehicle off the road that the explosive device went off.
“Nine of my members were killed by the blast; we were able to identify them through the vest we gave them and we have already deposited their corpses at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and the state specialist hospital,” Saidu said.
An eyewitness said that the explosives were packed inside a Peugeot 505 saloon car loaded with charcoal. The witness insisted that over 50 persons were killed in the early morning explosion.
Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima, who visited the scene of the blast, condemned the act, describing it as “un-Islamic, barbaric and inhuman.”
The governor thanked the Civilian JTF for their gallantry and assured them that N1m would be paid to each of the families of its deceased members.
Shettima, who also paid a visit to the Umaru Shehu Hospital and the Maiduguri Specialist Hospital to sympathise with the injured victims, directed the state Commissioner for Health to ensure that the victims were given the necessary care, promising that the government would settle all their medical bills and feeding.
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