The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Suicide bombers

  • Suicide bombers kill three in Maiduguri, injure 16

    Suicide bombers kill three in Maiduguri, injure 16

    Two female suicide bombers killed at least three people and injured 16 in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno, yesterday.

    Witnesses said the two women tried to get into a hospital but were stopped by security guards at the gate and blew themselves up.

    “We evacuated the charred bodies of the two security guards, another civilian and the two bombers,” said Auwal Mohammed, a member of the community in Molai, where the hospital is situated.

    A source at the mortuary of Borno State hospital in Maiduguri confirmed it had received three corpses after the blast.

    Another hospital source said 16 people injured in the attack had been brought in.

     

     

     

  • Suicide bombers kill 23 in Chadian capital

    Suicide bombers kill 23 in Chadian capital

    Suicide bombers struck for the first time in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad yesterday apparently in retaliation for the leading role the country has played in a regional war against Boko Haram, officials said.

    Bombs were detonated at Police Headquarters in the heart of the capital, and at the police training academy.

    Twenty-three people were killed, in addition to the four attackers, and 101 people were wounded, according to a statement from the president’s office. Images on state television showed the bloodied, uniformed bodies of police cadets scattered on the floor of the police academy.

    No claim of responsibility had been made but the statement from the president’s office said directly that Boko Haram was to blame.

    The Chadian government said the suicide bombers blew themselves up around 9 a.m. but gave few other details.

    The country is effectively an authoritarian one-party state, and its government typically communicates sparingly. A man who answered the phone at the president’s office said “loud explosions” had shaken the capital, and then hung up. Other Chadian officials reached by phoneon Monday refused to comment. But the methods and targets directly recalled those commonly employed by Boko Haram.

  • Suicide bombers kill 27 in Yola, Maiduguri

    Suicide bombers kill 27 in Yola, Maiduguri

    There were two explosions through suicide bombers last night in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital and Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

    A female suicide bomber killed eight soldiers and injured three others at a checkpoint in Maiduguri, military sources said yesterday.

    A fighter with a civilian defence group, Bashir Malam, said the bomber exploded the car as soldiers were checking it outside Brigadier Maimalari Barracks on bustling Baga Road during the evening rush hour.

    Malam counted the bodies of eight soldiers.

    In Yola, 19 people reportedly died from explosions in the town after evening prayers.

    The explosion, at around 1615 GMT, struck near army barracks and followed a spate of bombings in the city by Boko Haram. The sect has killed around 80 people in the last few days.

    The female bomber, who wore a veil and concealed explosives on her body, detonated the bomb beside a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city, said military sources.

    A resident of Yola Salihu Aliyu, was quoted by Premium Times as saying that the blast happened in front of the Jimeta main market at about 7:45pm.

    “We just finished observing the Maghrib prayer when we heard a loud blast in the direction of the market,” he said.

    He said the casualty figure is likely to be high because the explosion occurred as many traders closed their shops, and started rushing home.

    “You know many traders also come out of the market and display their wares outside the main market to also observe the night market,” he said. “There was even traffic gridlock in the area with many Keke Napep operators jostling for passengers when the bomb exploded.”

    One witness said at least 10 people were killed and about 30 injured. Some policemen at the scene, said up to 19 people died. They however did not want to be quoted because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

  • 13 killed by female suicide bombers in Borno attack

    13 killed by female suicide bombers in Borno attack

    No fewer than 13 people were killed on Wednesday during the suicide attack on Maiduguri, it was learnt.

    Four suicide bombers detonated explosives near a barracks in the Borno State capital, according to a militia member.

    Four female bombers killed six vigilance members and three soldiers near the Giwa Barracks in the city, Hassan Ibrahim, a member of the vigilance group fighting alongside the army, said yesterday. Many people were injured, he added.

    “Our members were killed and some are lying on hospital beds as a result of the bombs detonated,” Ibrahim said on telephone. “Our men and the soldiers thought they were helpless women who were in Boko Haram captivity but they took us by surprise.”

    Troops repelled the Boko Haram attack on Maiduguri after exchanging gunfire with the insurgents for about an hour, until about 9 p.m.

    The army yesterday imposed a 24-hour curfew on the city.

    “The attack on Wednesday was massive and the insurgents deployed female suicide bombers,” Jubrin Gunda, a militia spokesman, said on phone from the city. The insurgents incurred “massive” casualties, he added.

    The army described the decision to impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew as a measure to protect lives and property in the city.

    A statement signed by the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 7 Division, Maiduguri, Col. Tukur  Gusau, called on the people to cooperate with security agencies, maintaining that the situation has been brought under control.

    “In view of the recent development within Maiduguri metropolis, a 24-hour curfew is hereby imposed on the city. This is done to protect lives and property of innocent and law-abiding people of Maiduguri.

    “The Nigeria Army wishes to, once again, thank you for your continuous support and cooperation. The situation is firmly under control.”

    Also yesterday, it was learnt that no fewer than five Boko Haram members were killed in Iraq by the Mosul Youth Resistance Movement. They were reportedly killed on Wednesday.

    This is the first report of the presence of Boko Haram militants in Iraq following the sect’s open declaration of allegiance to the deadly ISIS and ISIS’s acceptance of Boko Haram’s allegiance.

    According to reports by Basnews.com, the Boko Haram insurgents were attacked in the Dargaza neighbourhood of eastern Mosul.

    Saed Mamuzini, Mosul’s spokesperson, was quoted by Basnews as saying, “The Nigerian Boko Haram militants were in Mosul to take part in a military training course conducted by Islamic State (IS).”

  • Female suicide bombers hit Potiskum, many feared dead

    Five people including two female suicide bombers were killed after a noon attack on a GSM market in Potiskum town in Yobe State.

    According to eyewitness, the bombers were dropped off by an unsuspecting tricycle rider near the market who later detonated themselves in the midst of crowd.

    A nurse at the Potiskum General Hospital informed that three dead bodies have been brought to the hospital. The two suicide bombers also died.
    ” There are 46 people that are wounded. With this number that are wounded, there is a possibility that the death toll will rise because some of the injuries are critical,” the source informed.

    Narrating the incident, Adamu Saidu a trader in the market who escaped the attack narrowly explained that the sound of the blast set the whole market in confusion.

    ” I was attending to a customer in my shop when I heard a loud sound. I fell down but woke up to see many people running in all direction. Everybody was confused. I saw some people on the ground in pains. I saw the bodies of the two female suicide bombers cut into two,” Saidu explained.

    Another source Abubakar, explained that the suicide bombers are teenage girls between the ages of 10 to 12 years.

    “I saw the suicide bombers bodies completely in pieces. From their looks, they are little girls of very tender ages of between 10 to 12 years. I wonder who is using these little girls for this kind of mission. It is quite unfortunate what is happening.

    “For us in Yobe and Borno and this part of the country, we are praying to God for the end of this crisis because it has become clear that our Government cannot protect us any longer,” Abubakar Idris said.

  • Suicide bombers may dress as Catholic priests, Military warns

    Suicide bombers may dress as Catholic priests, Military warns

    TERRORISTS may be up to a new trick in their suicide bombing mission in the country, the Department of State Security (DSS) warned yesterday.

    The agency said the next set of suicide bombers may disguise as Catholic Sisters after unidentified persons broke into a tailor’s  shop  in Kano, carting away 13 pieces of sisters’ outfit.

    It could not understand what a non-sister would want to do with the dresses other than to threaten the peace of the country.

    It therefore warned the public to be watchful.

    The DSS in a statement by its spokesman, Marilyn Ogar said   female suicide bombers might put on the dresses to bomb some unsuspecting targets.

    She said the unidentified persons broke into the  tailor’s  shop located at No. 55, Odutola Street, Sabon Gari, Kano during the week.

    “With the recent trend of female suicide bombings in the country, the theft of these regalia heightens concerns about the possibility of terrorist elements using same to perpetrate acts of terror,” she said.

    She asked everyone to “be more circumspect and exercise greater vigilance with users of such peculiar attires.”

    She also urged co-operation by all with law enforcement agencies through the provision of useful information on suspicious activities within their immediate environment.

    Recent bomb blasts in Kano and Kaduna were carried out by female terrorists.

    Meanwhile, the police have opened investigation into the alleged attempt on the life of the Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Ade Abolurin.

    The Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, said the  outcome of the investigation would be made public in due course.

    The NSCDC, had raised accused an unnamed Police Inspector of attempting to open fire on its  Commandant General Mr. Ade Abolurin.

    The Corps claimed that the said police inspector also threatened the lives of over 200 persons that were with the NSCDC boss at the time.

     

  • Prosecution tenders ‘items used’ in bombing media houses

    Memories of the April 26, 2012 bombing of three media houses in Kaduna were relieved on Tuesday before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    It was at the resumed trial of Mustapha Umar, a suspected Boko Haram member, charged with terrorism related offences over the explosion which partly damaged the building -SOJ Plaza – occupied by Thisday, the Sun and the Moment, on Kontagora Road.

    The prosecution, led by Simon Labaran, brought burnt remains of a Honda car, marked Kaduna: AL 306 MKA; 12 gas cylinders and a partly burnt black 25Litre jerry can, allegedly used by Umar in his purported attempt to blow-up the building.

    At about 11.30am, the presiding Judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, parties to the case, court officials and others came down from the court room located on the fifth floor of the Federal High Court building to inspect the items brought onto the foot of the building’s main entrance.

    Prosecution witness number Eight, who had spoken about the items, while testifying in the court room, identified them, following which the court admitted them in evidence as exhibits MU7 to 18(the cylinders), the jerry can as MU19 and the car as MU20.

    Earlier in his evidence, the witness, who wore mask, to conceal his identity, said as at the time of the incident, he was an Exhibit Keeper at the Sabon Gari Police Station, Kaduna.

    He told the court how the items were given to him for safekeeping after they were retrieved by the police, from the scene of the incident.

    The prosecution also called two other witnesses- a police bomb disposal expert and an Assistant Police Commissioner, who said he interviewed Umar and made a video recording of the interview session.

  • Suicide bombers hit telecom facilities in Kano

    Suicide bombers hit telecom facilities in Kano

    Suicide bombers on Saturday attack telecom facilities in the commercial city of Kano.

    Report says a suicide bomber drove an explosion-laden car into the Airtel offices in Mallam Kato Square in Kano and detonated it early on Saturday.

    The report added that the Improvised Explosive Device also exploded at an MTN phone switch centre in Mai Mailari area of the city.

    The number of victims has not been ascertained at the time of this report, but an unconfirmed report says four people were killed in the blasts.

    The spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, Yushau Shuaibu, confirmed the separate attacks in a text message.

    “NEMA has confirmed attacks on Telcom masts belonging to Airtel and MTN at Old Parade Ground and Malali Road respectively in Kano Municipality today.”

    He said security had been tightened in the affected areas.

    Details later…

     

  • Suicide bombers hit church in Jaji

    Suicide bombers hit church in Jaji

    …Eleven die

    Suicide bombers have attacked a church inside a military barracks in Kaduna State, killing 11 people and injuring 30, officials say.

    A military spokesman told the BBC that two vehicles were driven into the barracks in Jaji in what he described as “surprising and an embarrassment.”

    It is not clear who was responsible for the attack.

    But the army suspects Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which has recently targeted churches in the state.

    The group is fighting to overthrow the government and impose an extreme form of Sharia, or Islamic law.

    The BBC says that while Christians and churches are frequently targeted, this incident looks more like a direct attack on the military.

    On Friday, the Joint Task Force offered a reward of 50m naira ($317,000; £197,709) for help in tracking down suspected Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, and 10m each for other suspected leaders of the group.

    The military said a bus entered the barracks and was driven into the wall of the church where it exploded.

    Ten minutes later, a car blew up outside the church.

    “The first blast caused no casualties and curious worshippers gathered around the scene looking at the debris… and that was when the second blast happened,” the military spokesman said.

    Eyewitnesses reported seeing bodies at the scene, and people being carried away on stretchers.

    At least 50 people were killed in bombings in Kaduna in June and the reprisals that followed.

    And almost a month ago seven people died in a suicide bombing at a Roman Catholic Church in the state.