The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Maiduguri attack

  • 32 killed, 84 injured in Maiduguri attack

    About 32 persons were killed and 84 others injured when six suicide bombers attacked Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State on Saturday.

    Some residents alleged that the deaths arose from a misfiring by the Army’s artillery, but the Army denied the claim.

    An eyewitness, Buba Shettima, said two separate bomb blasts happened at Shuwari and Abbachari about 8.30pm.

    He said: “The whole of Damboa was shaken by the unfortunate incident. We all scampered for safety as the blasts were coming from different directions. There were bodies everywhere.

    “We suspected that the many deaths recorded were as a result of the military artillery.”

    Mohammed Hassan, another resident, said: “At about 8.30pm on Saturday, an attack suspected to be from an artillery killed 31 innocent people in Damboa Shehuri and Abachari. The attacks came from two separate directions. My house was among those destroyed.”

    But Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas denied the claim, saying the killings were caused by suicide attacks and not military artillery.

    He said: “There was nothing like an attack from the military artillery. You can see the pictures of six female bombers who detonated their explosives and as a result, 20 people died while many others were injured.”

    The District Head of Damboa, Modu-Zannah Maina, who described the incident as “shocking and disturbing”, said the attack was perpetrated by female suicide bombers.

    Maina lamented that most of the victims were children.

    “We are in this hospital to check victims of Saturday’s bombing. So far, the victims have been responding to treatment,” he said.

    The police however said 20 people died in the attack.

    A statement by the Commissioner of Police, Damian Chukwu, said: “On June 16, about 20:45hrs, an explosion occured at Abachari area, on the outskirt of Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.

    “At the sound of the explosion, policemen and Members of the civilian JTF mobilised to the scene and discovered 20 bodies and 48 injured persons in a suspected terrorist attack.

    “The wounded and the dead have been evacuated to a hospital while the scene was sanitised by a deployment of police Explosive Ordinance Team (EOD) unit.

    “Investigation is ongoing to unravel the nature of the attack”.

  • Video: Six killed, others wounded in Maiduguri attack -Police

    The Police in Borno said six persons were killed in an attack coordinated by Boko Haram insurgents at Jidari Polo area of Maiduguri on Thursday.

    Mr Edet Okon, the Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said in a statement on Friday that the victims included three civilians, a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and two female suicide bombers.

    Okon disclosed that two men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) and seven other persons sustained injuries from gunshots and explosions in the attack.

    He added that a Police Personnel Carrier (APC) vehicle was damaged in the attack.

    Okon said: “on Thursday April 26; at about 17: 00 pm, Boko Haram Terrorists launched a surprise attack at Jidari Polo area of Maiduguri near the Federal High court.

    “The terrorists fired sporadically and detonated Improvise Explosive Devices (IEDs). The Borno State Police Command promptly deployed combat teams of SARS, PMF and EOD to support the Military and the Divisional Police Officer of GRA division who were already at the scene.

    “The insurgents were successfully repelled by the security forces after fierce gun battle with profuse tear smoke application.

    “There was no casualty on the side of the police apart from two SARS personnel that were injured in the battle. A police Amoured Personnel Carrier (APC) was also damaged by IED explosions. Seven other persons were severely injured.

    “Four persons including a member of the CJTF and two female suicide bombers were killed in crossfire and IED explosions.

    “The victims and corpses were evacuated to the Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri. Normalcy has been restored in the area”.

    Okon added that preemptive deployments were being put in place to forestall further surprise attack.

    He quoted the Police Commissioner, Mr Damian Chukwu, as calling on members of the public to go about their lawful activities without fear.

    (Boko Haram suicide vehicle destroyed by the Nigerian Air Force)

    However, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), in a joint press briefing said nine persons were killed in the attack.

    NEMA’s Northeast Zonal Director, Mr Bashir Garga, said that five suicide bombers detonated IEDs and killed themselves while four civilians lost their lives in the attack.

    Garga disclosed that a number of persons also sustained injuries in the attack, adding that: “people panicked, fled their homes to escape the attack and in the process got injured.

    “We conducted evacuation exercise in the affected areas and normalcy has been restored”.

    Garga called on people to desist from going to the scene of attacks, noting that the trend was obstructing rescue services and expose workers to dangers.

  • Army raises panel to probe Maiduguri attack

    The Army has raised a four-man committee to probe the Easter Sunday night attack in Maiduguri, Borno State capital.

    Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas yesterday inaugurated the committee at the Military Command and Control Centre in Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri.

    Gen. Nicholas said the committee’s term of reference was find the cause of the attack to forestall a recurrence.

    He explained that the committee, led by Maj.-Gen. Henry Wesley, and three officers as members, will submit its report in three days.

    The commander advised the people to stay indoors in the event of an attack.

    He said: “It is good for people to stay indoors whenever there is a blast or anything, as the insurgents take advantage of such situations to unleash terror and kill people.

    “It is safer to stay indoors than expose yourselves to danger. Casualties can be high if people troop out of their homes recklessly.”

    Gen. Wesley promised that the committee will conduct a fact-finding visit to the affected communities.

  • Five feared dead in Maiduguri attack

    Attack on Giwa barracks foiled

    Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have killed five Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Nguru Nguro village, Konduga Local Government of Borno State.

    The victims were residents of Bale Shuwari, about 5km from Giwa Barracks, Maiduguri.

    Security agencies are yet to officially confirm the attack but local sources maintained that the incident happened yesterday.

    Sporadic gunshots were reported around Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, yesterday afternoon. This threw residents into panic.

    But the Army urged the people not to panic as it was an intruder who tried to infiltrate the barrack. He was shot by troops.

    A statement by the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Operation Lafiya Dole, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, said: “An intruder tried to enter into Giwa Barracks through the defensive position, at the back of the barracks but was challenged by vigilant troops on sentry.

    “Efforts to halt the intruder failed and as he attempted scaling over the second barbed wire obstacle, he was shot by own sentry at the tango. Investigation is ongoing.”