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Tag: Maiduguri blasts

  • Seven killed in Maiduguri suicide attacks

    At least seven people were reportedly killed in Sunday night’s suicide bomb attacks on the outskirt of Maiduguri, Borno State.

    A security source said three of the dead victims are the suicide bombers, all females, while an operative of the Civilian joint task force also died in the blasts.

    More than two loud bangs were heard at 10:30 p.m., sending residents to scamper for safety.

    Another security source said the multiple explosions occurred at  Kaleri village  on the outskirt of the state capital.

    Both scenes have been reportedly swept and rendered safe for public access by police.

    The state police public relations officer, Victor Isuku, who confirmed the incidents,  said two separate attacks were recorded on Sunday night and were both orchestrated by Boko Haram suicide bombers in their attempts to infiltrate Maiduguri.

    The PPRO said, “At about 2020hrs on Sunday,08/01/2017, three male suicide bombers shot sporadically and attempted to infiltrate Maiduguri via Garki Muna village close to a military checkpoint. The IED strapped to their bodies exploded killing all of them, and a civilian JTF. Two Ak47 rifles were recovered, while one was completely destroyed as a result of the explosion.

    “Then about 2230hrs same date, there were two suicide bomb attacks at Kaleri area of Gwange. Four persons including two female suicide bombers died in the explosion. Both scenes were swept and rendered safe for public access by personnel from EOD, FSARS and patrol teams of the command at the wee hours of today (Monday). Normalcy has since returned to these areas.”

  • Suicide bomber kills 30 in Maiduguri

    A male suicide bomber on Thursday night detonated two bombs in a mosque at molai outskirts of Maiduguri metropolis,  killing about 30 people.

    Eyewitness said the suicide bomber arrived at the mosque when Muslim faithful were observing their Magrib prayer at about 6:10pm on Thursday evening and detonated the bombs.

    Ali Bukar, a member of the Civilian JTF, told our correspondent that many Muslims were just observing their Magrib prayer at the mosque when the blasts occurred.

    “People started running up and down, motorists and keke NAPEP operators rushed out of the area with their families. There was confusion everywhere. The sound caused panic among everyone around the area.

    “You need to see how residents were running, some even had to park their belongings and leave the area as nobody knows what will happen next. But we are yet to get the details of what happened and how many people were killed and how many were wounded exactly. But I gathered that about 30 people have died in the attack,” Bukar said.

     

  • Blasts kill seven in Maiduguri

    Blasts detonated by three suicide bombers in Maiduguri, Borno State, killed at least seven people on Tuesday, the Red Cross and a vigilante group member told Reuters.

    Explosive devices were detonated at Sajeri, a community on the outskirts of the city centre, at about 8:30pm local time (1930 GMT), said Ba’ana Musa, a member of a youth vigilante group that helped to evacuate people.

    “Seven dead bodies have been evacuated from the scene of the blasts,” said a Red Cross official.

    Maiduguri is the birthplace of the Boko Haram sect, which has killed thousands and displaced 2.1 million people since 2009 in its attempt to create a state adhering to strict sharia law in the northeast.

    The explosions are the worst attacks on the city since 54 people were killed and 90 injured in bombings three weeks ago.

  • 10 killed in Maiduguri explosions

    At least 10 people were killed in multiple explosions that rocked Maiduguri, Borno State, on Sunday, locals said.

    They told AFP that loud explosions were heard from the areas of Kayamla and Dalori, three days after Maiduguri was attacked by the insurgents, leaving 10 dead and many more injured.

    “The explosions were heard from Kayamla and Dalori along Bama Road since around 7:00 am today,” Kursi Yusuf, an employee at the nearby University of Maiduguri, told AFP.

    “We are not sure whether the terrorists are planning to invade the town, but the sound vibrating is devastating,” he added.

    Khadija Mustapha, a resident of Dalori Quarters, 11 kilometres from Maiduguri, said she had fled her home with her three daughters for fear of being caught in the explosions.

    “I don’t know what will happen. The sound of the explosives is really disturbing,” she said. “Many of us have vacated our homes.”

    A military officer, who did not want to be named, confirmed the blasts, but said troops were on top of the situation.

    “The terrorists will not have their way,” he told AFP.

     

  • Update: 54 killed, 95 injured in Maiduguri blasts

    Update: 54 killed, 95 injured in Maiduguri blasts

    Borno State police Command has confirmed that 54 people were killed and over 95 injured in the multiple explosions that hit Maiduguri, Borno State, Sunday night.

    The state’s Police Public Relation Officer, Victor Isuku, who confirmed the incidents, told journalists in Maiduguri that the attacks bore the hallmark of Boko Haram insurgents.

    However, no group has claimed responsibility for the explosions.

    According to Isuku, the attackers simultaneously detonated four separate Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at a mosque and a viewing center in Ajilari T-junction of Maiduguri metropolis.

    There are however conflicting reports on the number of victims, with eyewitnesses  putting the death toll at over 60 and more than  95 injured persons.

    Hospital sources also confirmed the 60 fatality figure.

    An eyewitness, Modu Sani , said nine people died on the spot, including the ones outside, before the two explosives were detonated at the Ajilari local night market and the bus stop.

    “The four explosives were planted by the fleeing suspected terrorists from Sambisa Forest. They could have sneaked into these areas about a week or two ago to plant these bombs in this mosque and other soft targets areas in the area,” Sani said, adding that an attacker also threw a grenade at the viewing centre from an unmarked vehicle.

  • Several killed in Maiduguri blasts

    Three blasts struck a mosque and the area near the building in Maiduguri, Borno State, a military spokesman has said.

    A hospital source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at least eight dead bodies had been recovered from the area, with many more feared dead, and around 50 injured people had been taken to hospital for treatment.

    There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosions on the edge of the city centre but they bore the hallmarks of the Boko Haram sect.

    Maiduguri is the birthplace of the jihadist sect which has waged a six-year insurgency in its bid to set up a state in the northeast of Nigeria adhering to strict Islamic laws.

    “There were three improvised explosive devices explosions at Gomari and Ajilari general area in Maiduguri at about 7:21pm [1821 GMT],” the military spokesman, Col. Sani Usman, told Reuters.

    “Although details are not clear, it is important to note the attacks signify high level of desperation on the part of the Boko Haram terrorists,” he added.

    Bubakar Aliyu, a farmer who had just finished praying at a smaller mosque, said, “I heard the first blast from the main mosque.  Another exploded at a cluster of shops. I ran back to home and as I approached my house I heard another blast.”