The Nation Newspaper

Tag: explosive

  • Boko Haram lunches midnight attack in Maiduguri

    Boko Haram lunches midnight attack in Maiduguri

    …Eight suicide bombers killed

     

    The Police in Maiduguri have confirmed a suicide attack on a convoy of commercial cars at Muna garage in Maiduguri.

    The vehicles numbering about thirteen according to a statement issued by the State Police Spokesman DSP Victor Isuku, said the vehicles were awaiting security cover from military to depart to Gamboru Ngala on Friday when a suicide bomber sneaked and detonated his explosive ridden body in the midst of the trucks.

    The statement explained that the action triggered an unprecedented explosion which razed down the parked vehicles beyond recognition.

    The statement reads; “Yesterday at about 2318hrs,  a suicide bomber sneaked into the midst of 13 pick-up trucks loaded with goods along Maiduguri/Mafa road, said to be awaiting departure to Gamboru Ngala early hours  of today and detonated IEDs strapped on self. The resulting Explosion razed down the parked vehicles beyond recognition.

    EOD/Police patrol team were promptly deployed to the scene to restore safety & normalcy”.

    The police have however denied that some gunmen on motorcycle came shooting shortly after the suicide bomber attacked the convoy.

    The casualty figure from the attack is not yet clear as some unconfirmed reports believe many people may have been feared dead during the attack.

    About eight of the suicide bombers who lunched the attack on the vehicles were said to have died in the attack.

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the bombers mostly women numbering eight in number were loaded in a Volkswagen Golf from Muna community.

    The spokesman for NEMA Sani Datti in a statement informed that the bombers attempted to run through a military check Point, adding that seven civilian JTF operatives were wounded in the event.

    The statement reads; “Yesterday (Thursday) at around 11:00pm, Boko Haram members attempted to attack Maiduguri. They came through Mafa- Dikwa road along Muna community. The suicide bombers came in a Volkswagen Golf carrying eight suicide bombers most of whom were female teenagers.

    “The driver attempted to over-run the security post where the security personnel’s were stationed, but few of the personnel’s sustained minor injuries, while the remaining bombers detonated their IED in some of the communities in Muna Dalti settlement.

    “Seven (7) Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) sustained minor injuries and were taken to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).  Some of the suicide bombers found their way to a place where people gathered with their trucks loaded with goods for onward movement to Mafa, Dikwa and Ngala LGAs.

    “Over 14 loaded trucks were burnt by the suicide bombers though no casualty was recorded. The seven corpses of the suicide bombers were evacuated to the State Specialist Hospital by NEMA and Borno SEMA team,” the statement said.

     

  • Explosive hidden in polythene bag, says vigilante

    Explosive hidden in polythene bag, says vigilante

    Commandant of the Gallant Community Protection and Safety Foundation (GCPSF), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ukombu John, said the twin bomb blasts in Nyanya which occurred within the space of five minutes to each other on Friday night was probably caused by Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) concealed in black polythene bags and left at the scene and not by a suicide bomber.

    According to him, the vigilante group stationed opposite the Jikwoyi Park, was among the first respondents at the scene of the blast and were horrified to count about 10 to 15 bodies, dismembered and burnt beyond recognition when the dust settled.John narrated that they tried to tend to the injured by carrying them in wheel barrows before emergency workers and other security operatives who responded very quickly arrived.

    The commandant lamented that people have just begun to feel safe again in Nyanya, after the two bomb blasts that occurred last year but now suspicion and fear have returned and even petty traders are afraid of returning to the road side where they always sell.

    He said, “We were here when the bomb blast occurred within a space of five minutesý, at about, 9.20pm and the second one happened at 9.25pm. We do not believe it was a suicide bomber, we think that something was in a black leather bag in the scene which exploded.

    “It was getting late at night and the park was not really full which is the reason for the less casualties.”

    A resident of Nyanya and businessman, Joseph Anidi who sells furniture opposite the scene of the blast lamented how the return of the blasts will now affect his business.

    He said that relative normalcy had returned to the area after last year’s blast and business was finally back to normal for him but now, the return of the blast will bring back fear into the heart

    Another resident of Mararaba, Idris Suleiman, who also spoke with our correspondent, said, “Nigerians have to remember that security is every body’s job, you cannot leave it just for the Army or Policeý, we need to now learn to be security conscious if we see anything or anyone suspicious.”

  • Three arraigned for terrorism

    Three men were on Monday charged before a Chief Magistrate Court, Ikeja over alleged act of terrorism and being in possession of explosive substance.

    They are; Ebenezer Akinbolade, 45, John Damilola, 30, and Tolulope Vincent, 30.

    The were arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy,  acts of terrorism and possessing explosive substance.

    Police  prosecutor, Inspector Barth Nwaokoye said that the accused committed the offence at 2.15 p.m on April 13, 2013 at Emco Guest House, along Yetkem Rd., Lagos. Nwaokoye said that the defendants engaged in  acts likely to promote terrorism and endanger life.

    According to him, the defendants  allegedly  armed themselves with explosive attempted to harm one  Alhaji Adewale Nurudeen whom they had business dealings with.

    The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Sections 242, 401 and 409, Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011.

    When the charges were read,  the defendants pleaded not guilty to the three count charge preferred against them.

    The chief magistrate, Mrs A. Demi-Ajayi granted the defendants bail each in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.

    She adjourned the case to June 5, 2013 for mention.

  • Parceled explosive for Okonjo- Iweala defused

    Parceled explosive for Okonjo- Iweala defused

    Two alleged Improvised Explosive Devices (IEAs) were Monday defused by  the police anti-bomb squad. They were planted directly in front of the post office in Area 10, Garki, Abuja.

    The parcel was wrapped and addressed to the Minister of Finance.

    The Post Master General, (PMG) of the Federation, Mr. Ibrahim Mori- Baba, said the parcel was planted last Friday by a man he described as insane. He said he could not confirm if it was a bomb or otherwise.

    He said the security operative told reporters that they would do their job and determine if what exploded was a bomb.

    Mori – Baba said:

    “What happened was that on Friday, somebody just came, we couldn’t understand whether that person is a sane person or not

    “He wanted to go to the post office but unfortunately for him, the gate was closed and he couldn’t have access to our building and he left the so called parcel by the main gate. I call it so called parcel because, any parcel that could got through the process, there are processes that have to be done and these include weighing of the parcel and then determine how much the sender will pay.

    “We will also examine the parcel in the sender’s presence. We will bring out the content to see what you are about to send. In this case, this person left the parcel there and went inside and bought stamps and pasted it on it to indicate as if the thing went through our process.

    “ I want to say that it didn’t go through our process, the man just wanted to camouflage to say that he has already posted it therefore we needed to deliver it. That parcel was not processed. The police came and they were able to examine it. Eventually they found something suspicious and it was a bomb,” the post master general said.