A female teenage suicide bomber detonated an explosive device strapped to her body in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital early on Tuesday, killing at least six people and wounding about 41.
“At about 7:40 am, a female suicide bomber about 14 years old denoted an explosive device at the central Damaturu motor park. Six people were killed including the suicide bomber,” police spokesman Toyin Gbadegesin told Reuters.
A male suicide bomber died earlier in the day while on a failed mission.
Sources in Damaturu said the first bomb blast was heard echoing in from the Pompomari axis of the city as a male suicide bomber, said to be in his mid 20s, suddenly exploded on the street.
No one was affected, except himself.
Shortly after the Pompomari bombing, another one occurred at the Damaturu Motor Park.
According to witnesses the bomber was a female who was attempting to enter the park, but only got her device detonated at the gate.
A vehicle conveying passengers and coming out of the park was affected. Four persons in the vehicle were killed instantly.
Security personnel cordoned off the area shortly after the explosion, witnesses said.
A hospital source, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity said “five bodies were brought in from the scene of the blast; that is if you add the remains of the female suicide bomber. “But two later gave up while receiving treatment at the accident and emergency ward”.
Damaturu Park has suffered similar attacks in the past months.
PRNigeria, an agency that distributes press statements for Nigerian security agencies, quoted a Yobe State spokesperson as confirming the incident and the casualty figure.
The agency quoted the Director of Media and Publicity to Yobe State Governor, Abdullahi Bego, as saying the dead had been evacuated to mortuary while the injured victims were being attended to by health and emergency workers.
Terror group, Boko Haram, is suspected to be behind the two attacks.
