Black Monday: Female bombers kill 12, injure 18 in Maiduguri

Again, suicide bombers believed to be members of the terror group, Boko Haram, yesterday invaded communities in

Maiduguri, Borno State. Four female bombers and eight others were killed while 18 others were injured in coordinated multiple suicide bomb attacks on Mamanti, Molai General and Cimar areas on the outskirts of Maiduguri. This came as six persons lost their lives yesterday in an auto crash in the Ogun State axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The accident occurred at Sagamu Interchange about 2:12p.m. The Borno State Police Commissioner, Mr. Damain Chukwu, confirmed the bomb attacks, while briefing journalists in his office. He said: “On Sunday 16/7/2017, about 23:59 hours, Nigerian Army troops deployed in Mammanti Village, Molai General area, Konduga Local Government Area on the outskirts of Maiduguri township, intercepted two teenage female suicide bombers trying to infiltrate the village through the parapet ahead of the village. “The bombers were engaged by the troops after being challenged, which resulted in the detonation of their suicide vests, killing only the two suicide bombers.

No other casualty recorded. “Also about 01:49 hours of today 17/7/2017 (yesterday), Nigerian Army troops deployed between Cimari community and No Man’s Land, Magazine Local Government Area on the outskirts of Maiduguri township, intercepted a female suicide bomber trying to infiltrate the community through the parapet ahead.

The suicide bomber, in an attempt to escape, was shot by the troops. As a result of which the suicide vest on her body exploded killing the bomber only. “About 04:30 hours of same date, a female suicide bomber attempted to enter a mosque in London Ciki area, Jere Local Government Area on the outskirts of Maiduguri township.

In the process, she detonated PBIED on her body, killing herself and eight others, while 18 other persons sustained injuries.” Chukwu said the police EOD teams were promptly deployed to the scenes to sanitise and render the scenes and vicinities safe for normal activities to continue.

He added that bodies of the victims and the injured were evacuated to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. Meanwhile, Operation Lafiya Dole Theatre has called on the public to be wary of a new tactics adopted by Boko Haram members. Its spokesman, Col. Nwachukwu Onyema, made the call in a statement.

He said: “Following regular interception of Boko Haram terrorists suicide bombers by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and the serial failures that have trailed their suicide bomb attacks, recent developments indicate that the terrorist group is now exploiting deceptive tactics to lure unsuspecting members of the public to target areas before detonating their suicide bomb in order to attain maximum casualty.

“It has been observed that one of the tactics employed by the terrorists is to create a scene such as fighting with each other or any other person othto attract attention and cause people to gather around them before they detonate their suicide bomb.

Another antic is by abducting children who are on errands, strapping them with suicide vests and sending them back home, where the suicide bomb detonates to kill members of the household. “These deceptive tactics have been found to have played out in recent suicide bomb attacks carried out by the Boko Haram terrorists.”

Onyema therefore urged members of the public to be wary of these tactics and avoid such unnecessary gatherings that could expose them to preventable danger. He advised parents and adults to sensitise their children and wards to these new Boko Haram tricks. Meanwhile, two vehicles, a commercial Nissan Quest car with registration number Lagos FKJ 297 AJ and an Iveco truck marked Lagos LND 902 XE, were involved in the Ogun State accident. All the occupants of the car, five women and one male driver, were said to have died on the spot.

It was learnt that the commercial vehicle, which was coming from Lagos, ran under the moving truck. The Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the incident in a statement made available to journalists.

Akinbiyi attributed the accident to apparent over-speeding and reckless driving by the commercial vehicle’s driver. He explained that rescue operatives, including TRACE personnel who were later joined by men of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) arrived the scene about 2:21p.m.

The PRO said efforts were made to tow the two vehicles involved off the road and this affected the flow of traffic. Akinbiyi said the victims’ bodies were deposited at the morgue of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu.