The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Suicide bombers

  • Three suicide bombers killed in Maiduguri

    Three suicide bombers killed in Maiduguri

    No fewer than three suicide bombers were killed by the military on Friday at Simari area of Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, according to the police yesterday.

    Mr. Victor Isuzu, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), in Maiduguri said that that the incident occurred at about 9.49 p.m., when three suicide bombers, a male and two females attempted to penetrate Usmanti Community in Mafa local government.

    “The suicide bombers were chased by security personnel in the ensuing stampede and in an attempt to escape arrest, the suicide bombers hurriedly detonated the IEDs strapped on their bodies killing themselves,” he said.

    “However, two members of the security personnel sustained injuries and were rushed to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

    “Police and EOD personnel visited the scene to secure and render the area safe.”  A witness, Mr. Amin Audu, said the insurgents took advantage of the night to gain access into Maiduguri.

    “The powerful blast also made the explosives strapped to the other ladies to detonate and blew them into pieces,” he said.

    Maiduguri and other liberated areas have witnessed upsurge of suicide bomb attacks in which many lives and property were lost in the past two months.

    The insurgents had recently attacked a team of prospecting oil workers on exploration at Lake Chad Basin.

    The insurgents also attacked Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri and Dikwa Local Government Area of the state.

    Also, 14 women including police personnel were abducted by the insurgents.

    The insurgents recently attacked a team of workers on oil exploration at Lake Chad Basin.

  • Army: Stop donating children to suicide bombers

    The Nigerian Army last night issued a stern warning to parents who have been donating their daughters and wards in the Northeast to the Boko Haram insurgent group for indoctrination and suicide bombing missions.

    The army called on religious leaders and traditional rulers to urgently wade into the matter by dissuading people from making such “donations” at the expense of the nation’s security.

    The army Spokesperson, Brig General Sani Kukasheka Usman, in a statement said the appeal to parents and the traditional rulers and religious leaders became necessary given the revelations by some intercepted female suicide bombers during interrogations.

    The statement reads: “The Nigerian Army wishes to appeal to  religious, traditional and community leaders, as well as all well-meaning Nigerians especially in the North East of our country, to help dissuade people from donating their daughters or wards, to Boko Haram terrorists for indoctrination and suicide  bombing missions.

    “This appeal became expedient in view of recent revelations by some intercepted female suicide bombers during interrogations.

    “It was discovered that most  of these hapless minors were “donated” to the terrorists sect by their heartless and misguided parents and guardians, as part of their contribution to the perpetuation of the Boko Haram terrorists’ dastardly acts against the Nigerian society and humanity. “The acts of these parents and guardians are not only barbaric, but condemnable and unacceptable.

    “Nigerians have a responsibility and obligation to collectively mould our children and wards and define a better future for them rather than condemning them to death by the criminal Boko Haram terrorists and their sympathizers through suicide bombings.

    “Consequently, the public are kindly requested to be more vigilant, security conscious and report any suspicious persons or those whose daughters or female wards are missing or have not been seen recently. You can report by calling 193 on any network.

    “The public is also please reminded that the Nigerian Army’s offer and reward of the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira  (N500,000.00) to anybody that brought information about suicide bombing, is still available”.

  • 3 suicide bombers die attempting to enter varsity

    3 suicide bombers die attempting to enter varsity

    Three Suicide bombers have been confirmed dead in the early hours of Friday in Maiduguri, Borno while attempting to enter some locations in the University of Maiduguri.
    Mr Sani Datti, Head of Media and Public Relations of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

    Datti said that the vigilant University’s Security and Vigilantes group intercepted the suicide bombers before they could gain entrance into the University premises.

    He explained that immediately the suicide bombers detonated their explosives strapped on them, it led to injury of the two University’s security officers and two vigilantes.

    Datti said that the incidence occurred when the new Director-General of NEMA, Mr Mustapaha Maihaja is on a two-day visit to Maiduguri to meet with the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

    He said Maihaja would also be meeting with leaders and stakeholders in the states to discuss ways forward in responding to humanitarian needs of the affected persons.

    He said that the remains of the three suicide bombers were evacuated to the Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that amidst stringent security measures in the State, there have been few cases of suicide attacks in IDPs camps and the University of Maiduguri.

    These attacks have claimed lives and left several injured.

  • Two guards killed as suicide bombers attack UNIMAID’s female hostels

    Two guards killed as suicide bombers attack UNIMAID’s female hostels

    Another group of suicide bombers on Friday infiltrated the University of Maiduguri campus and launched an attack on the university hostel.
    Two security men on guard were killed in the attack.
    More than four explosions were reported to have gone off within the school campus but the one that resulted to death happened at the BOT Hostel accommodating girls.
    According to a student source from the hostel, two suicide bombers came into the hostels from the back gate and hugged one of the security men who tried to prevent them from gaining entrance into the main building of the hostel.
    The source also added that the deafening sound from the blast caused panic among students in the hostels who scampered for safety causing stampede that led to the injury of many students.
    “We heard the sound at it was so loud that many of us became confused in the hostel. Some students even fainted. Others were running and falling on others. Many have been wounded in what I can call a stampede,” the source said.
    Another source from the BOT Hostel said the bomber came in and hugged the security man.
    “Two of them came in through the back gate. As the security man was trying to stop them, one of the bombers rushed and hugged one of the security men and blew off with him. The other one didn’t die but he is wounded,” the source said.
    The Student Union President of University of Maiduguri, Comrade Abu Hanifa Babati has also confirmed the attack on the institution.
    According to him, the second one occurred around BOT Hostel which is a female hostel. The first one occurred around the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
    A twin bomb blast went off in the university on May 13 in which two soldiers and two university security men lost their lives alongside the male suicide bomber.
    Spokesman of Borno State police command Victor Isuku said “On 18/5/2017 at about 2350hrs, three male suicide bombers with IEDs strapped to their bodies, gained entry into the premises of university of Maiduguri.
    ” In an attempt to enter the female hostels, they were intercepted by security operatives.
    “One of the bombers hurriedly detonated his IED vest, killing himself instantly.
    “The other two bombers detonated their near a construction site also within the proximity of the University premises, killing themselves alone.
    “Three university security personnel reported injured. Scene visited by EOD personnel and normalcy restored,” DSP Isuku said.

  • Seven die as security foils suicide attack on Maiduguri

    Seven people including three suicide bombers were Monday killed in Maiduguri after the bombers were prevented from entering the city from a village very close to Maiduguri.

    The suicide attacks according to sources occurred in  Shuwari village behind Molai Kura  community as well as along Maiduguri- Damboa -Biu road leaving  three of the suicide bombers and four other civilians killed.

    A security source revealed that one of the suicide attacks was foiled by some dogs and members of the civilian JTF AT Mammanti Village.

    The source revealed that the three suicide bombers  were intercepted by dogs at mammanti village, adding that , “with the  quick intervention by members of civilian JTF in collaboration with the gallant military troops, all the suicide bombers were killed without any other  casualty.

    Our reporter gathered  that the first explosion was carried out by a female suicide bomber in Shuwari village, about 10km away from Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, leaving only the suicide bomber dead with no other casualty, while the other incident at Mainari village near Molai was carried out by two suicide bombers who disguised as cart- pushers hide  their Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) pretending  to be local hawkers of fresh mangoes and oranges where they succeeded in infiltrating  some waiting vehicles and passengers for military escort to Damboa before detonating his IED killing four other civilians.

    The source disclosed that security operatives at Molai Check Point swang into action after the attack with the help of   civilian JTF and humanitarian workers and evacuated the dead bodies of the victims and the injured to hospital.

    Confirming the multiple attacks, Borno State  Police Commissioner, Mr. Damian Chukwu said, “On 24 /04 /17, information just received indicates, today at about 0510hrs, three female suicide bombers attempted to enter Mamanti village Jere LGA but  they were intercepted by Civilian JTF.

    “In the process, one of the suicide bombers detonated the IED strapped to her body killing her alone. The other two tried to escape but were shot dead by security personnel on duty.

    “The command EOD personnel were promptly drafted to the scene to sanitize & render the area safe.

    “Again at about 0730hrs, another suicide bomb incident was foiled at Mainari kanuri village along Damboa/Biu road in the outskirt of Maiduguri town.

    “A suspected BHT, disguised as a cart pusher was intercepted by residents of the community.

    “He detonated IED on his cart, killing himself and three nearby civilians, while two other civilians sustained injuries. Both scenes have since been rendered safe and normally restored,” the Commissioner said.

     

     

  • Two suicide bombers found dead near UNIMAID fence

    Two suicide bombers have been found dead behind the perimeter fence of University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), the police said on Monday.

    The Borno State police spokesman, DSP Victor Isuzu, said in a statement in Maiduguri that the incident must have occurred prematurely, adding that only the two bombers were found dead.

    The statement said: “In the early hours of today, the bodies of two male suicide bombers were discovered behind the perimeter fence of University of Maiduguri, outskirt of Maiduguri town. The bombers’ death was reasonably believed to have been due to premature detonation of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) strapped to their bodies before they could get to their target.

    “The bodies have since been evacuated by SEMA to specialist hospital.”

  • Two suicide bombers die in foiled attack on mosque

    Two suicide bombers die in foiled attack on mosque

    Two female suicide bombers were blown up yesterday on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, after worshippers thwarted their attempt to attack a mosque.

    Dozens of worshippers had gathered for the early morning prayers at the Juddumuri Village mosque close to the Federal High Court when the two female bombers walked in.

    Security conscious worshippers spotted them and quickly intercepted the merchants of death.

    In the ensuing struggle, one of the suicide bombers detonated her Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which killed her and her accomplice.

    Five worshippers were injured.

    Spokesman for the State Police Command, Victor Isuku, a deputy superintendent (DSP) confirmed the development in a statement and said: “At about 0520hrs, today, (yesterday) two female suicide bombers with IED strapped to their bodies attempted to enter a mosque at Juddumuri village, after Federal High Court.

    “They were intercepted and prevented by the Muslim worshippers. In the process, one of them detonated her vest, killing both of them and injuring five others. The injured were rushed to Specialist Hospital, while the remains of the suicide bombers were equally evacuated by SEMA.”

    The police said the second IED was later detonated by the command’s EOD team at the scene, the statement added.

     

  • Three suicide bombers die, three fuel tankers burnt in Borno attack

    Three suicide bombers die, three fuel tankers burnt in Borno attack

    Three suicide bombers were killed yesterday in a pre-dawn attack close to the  NNPC depot on Damboa Road, Maiduguri.

    Three fuel tankers were set ablaze in the attack , ahead of a planned visit by the United Nations Security Council to assess the Boko Haram crisis in Nigeria.

    One of the bombers, an elderly woman, blew herself up beside a stationary tanker loaded with fuel around 3 a.m.

    With her were a boy and a girl who continued going on the road towards the fuel depot until they were challenged by soldiers who fired at them to avert what could have been a major attack on the fuel depot.

    “We are lucky. Today could have been another sad day for us in Maiduguri,” the state Police Commissioner Damian Chukwu told reporters at the scene.

    “They  (soldiers)  ordered them to stop, but they chose to run,” Gajibo said. “The male suicide bomber detonated his explosives near S. Baba (gas) Filling Station, while the girl was shot at by the military and ran under a parked truck loaded with petrol products which went up in flames when her explosives detonated”.

    Firefighters razed to the spot, opposite the  Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),to douse the fire.

    Spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Abdulkadir Ibrahim, confirmed three deaths.

    He said: “The fire has been brought under control, while casualty evacuation has been concluded.

    “Three suicide bombers came into the city through Damboa around 3:00 am (0200 GMT) and they were spotted by civilians.

    “They quickly ran and hid under three petrol tankers, where one of them detonated his explosives, killing all of them.”

    The attack came  just days before a delegation of the U.N. Security Council is due  in Maiduguri as part of a four-nation tour of countries in the Lake Chad Basin devastated by the seven-year Boko Haram uprising that has killed more than 20,000.

    Yesterday, the Security Council members were in Cameroon for meetings with top officials and an encounter with the multinational force that has been fighting Boko Haram extremists.

     

  • Army parade three female suicide bombers

    Army parade three female suicide bombers

    The Nigerian Army has arrested and paraded three girls on suicide bomb mission in Borno State.
    Parading the arrested suicide bombers, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Lucky Irabor said the arrest of the girls has probably saved many lives as no one knows the kind of havoc they would have caused.
    He also explained that the girls were paraded to let the public know that some of the suicide missions are been averted by vigilant security personnel. 
    Major General Lucky Irabor who was speaking on a live media briefing on the activities of Operation Lafiya Dole on Wednesday, also took a swipe at Amnesty International for its report on the operation of the Nigerian Army.
    According to him, the Amnesty International is deliberately and unjustly attacking the Nigerian Army to undermine the success it has recorded on  the Boko Haram crisis.
  • Eight suicide bombers, two others killed in Maiduguri botched attack

    Eight suicide bombers, two others killed in Maiduguri botched attack

    Eight suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers lay dead Thursday night  after a futile attempt to attack Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

    Most of them were girls.

    They were blown up by the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) they strapped to their bodies when the car in which they rode tried to overrun a security post at Muna Garage on the city’s eastern outskirts.

    Muna Garage has been attacked several times in recent months.

    Two members of the vigilance group popularly called Civilian  JTF also lost their lives in the incident,while 13 pickup trucks loaded with goods awaiting departure to Gamboru Ngala yesterday were burnt.

    But the police confirmed only one death.

    Residents said multiple explosions echoed across the area .

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said yesterday that the suicide bombers  came through Mafa- Dikwa road in a Volkswagen Golf.

    Sani Datti, Head of Media and Public Relations of NEMA said in a statement that seven  security  personnel were injured.

    The seven corpses of the suicide bombers were evacuated to the State Specialist Hospital by NEMA and Borno SEMA team.

    His words: “Yesterday (Thursday) at about 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 overrun the security post where the security personnel were stationed, but few of the personnel sustained minor injuries, while the remaining bombers detonated their IED in some of the communities in Muna Dalti settlement.

    “Seven 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.” Victor Isuku, the police spokesman ,in a separate statement said: “Yesterday (Thursday) 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 (Friday) and detonated Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs strapped on self.”He said that only the bomber was killed during the incident as the vehicles were empty. “The resulting explosion razed down the parked vehicles beyond recognition. EOD/Police patrol team were promptly deployed to the scene to restore safety and  normalcy”.“Most of the trucks that were loaded with goods for export to Chad and the border communities were destroyed, along with commodities worth millions of naira,” an eyewitness said.

    A large refugee camp is close to the Muna garage and  outside it were  crowds of displaced people gathering around trucks to form convoys before trying to return home.

    Another eyewitness said one blast occurred as people were trying to board the trucks.

    Soldiers reportedly fired at gunmen on motorcycles escorting other suicide bombers, killing some  of the bombers.

    The police denied that soldiers fired at anyone.

    A different account of the incident by Civilian-JTF operatives is that a  few hours after the Muna explosions, soldiers at Muna Dalti, a location about a kilometre away from the first explosion, shot six suicide bombers who were attempting to sneak into town at about 2 a.m.

    Some Boko Haram gunmen who were riding on motorcycles accompanied the six suicide bombers, they said.

    On Wednesday, Boko Haram fighters fired at a military helicopter on a humanitarian mission in the northeast, wounding one airman, the Nigerian Air Force said. Last week, the extremists ambushed a convoy of new recruits, killing seven, the military and a self-defense commander said.

    Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno yesterday  donated cash to the seven members of the Civilian JTF  who were injured in the   bombing.

     Shettima  was on a sympathy visit to them  at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, where they are being treated.

    He urged the hospital management to provide them proper treatment.