Nine people were killed and several others injured when two suicide bombings rocked Maiduguri, the Borno State capital on Saturday morning.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the attacks bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram which has been trying to set up an Islamic state in the northeast, killing thousands and displacing more than two million people.
“Two suicide bombers riding in motorised rickshaws this morning detonated their explosives 10 minutes apart, with one of them targeting the Bakassi IDP (internally displaced persons) camp on the outskirts of the city,” Mohammed Kanar, spokesman for Nigeria Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said.
“Nine persons lost their lives with twenty-four persons injured and evacuated to various hospitals,” NEMA said in a statement posted on Twitter.
Spokesman of the Nigeria Army 7 Division, Mustapha Anka, however, in a separate statement that eight people died and 11 injured.
The Army statement reads:
“At about 7.05am this morning, there were twin simultaneous suicide bomb explosions at the entrance of Bakassi Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp and NNPC Mega Filling Station, Damboa Road, Maiduguri.
“At the Bakassi IDPs camp, a suspected female suicide bomber ran into group of men and women at the entrance while they were coming out of the camp, killing 5 men and injured 11 women. The bodies of dead men and the injured women have been evacuated.
“At the NNPC, a female suicide bomber followed a fuel tanker in Keke NAPEP tricycle with the sole aim of gaining entry to cause maximum damage and casualty but was prevented from gaining access to the station by another vehicle. In that process, the suicide bomber exploded killing the 3 occupants of the tricycle. No reported injured persons at this instance.
“Troops and security agencies have been mobilized and the injured have been evacuated while efforts are ongoing to comb the general area as well as entries and exits of Maiduguri.
“While we commiserate with the families of the late victims of this cruel act and wish those injured speedy recovery, we would like to assure the public that efforts are o going to track those behind the dastardly acts. However, it is equally important to reiterate the need for more vigilance and security consciousness among all. Citizens are enjoined to report any suspicious persons or movements to the security agencies”.
