Maiduguri, Nigeria (AFP) — Three
bombings, including one by a
female suicide attacker, killed at
least 58 people in northeast
Nigeria’s largest city of Maiduguri
on Saturday, in the latest violence
blamed on Boko Haram.
Many children were among the dead and at
least 139 others were wounded in the
explosions that hit two crowded markets and a
busy bus station.
The Nigerian Islamist militants have relentlessly
attacked Maiduguri throughout their six-year
uprising, which has cost more than 13,000 lives
and security forces in the city have struggled to
contain the bloodshed.
Nigeria has since last month claimed key
victories over Boko Haram in an offensive being
waged in cooperation with forces from
neighboring Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
Several towns and villages in the northeast
previously captured by the insurgents have
reportedly been taken back by government
troops and experts have said that in response
Boko Haram was likely to increase attacks on
civilian targets in major cities.
Markets, bus station attacked
A woman with explosives strapped to her body
blew herself up at roughly 11:20 am (1020
GMT) when she got out of a motorized rickshaw
at Maiduguri’s Baga fish market, said the head
of the fisherman’s union, Abubakar Gamandi,
who was at the scene.
“The bomb was devastating because it occurred
at a crowded area,” said Jamuna Jarmi, a
grocery seller.
Boko Haram has deployed women and even
girls as young as seven as human bombs in
attacks across northern Nigeria in recent
months, prompting global condemnation,
including from other jihadist groups.
About an hour later another blast rocked the
popular Monday Market, causing chaos as locals
voiced anger at security forces who struggled to
control the scene.
Just after 1:00 pm a third blast hit a used car
lot which is attached to the busy Borno Express
bus terminal.
There were indications that the second and
thirds blasts were also carried out by suicide
bombers but details were not immediately
clear.
Gamandi, who spoke to AFP from the Maiduguri
General Hospital where he was helping
coordinate rescue efforts gave the toll of 47
dead and 50 wounded for the three blasts.
His figures were confirmed by a nurse at
Maiduguri General and a vigilante leader in
Borno, Danlami Ajaokuta, whose civilian fighters
have been working with military across the
northeast in fighting Boko Haram.
Ajaokuta said the security forces had ordered
the closure of all businesses across the city
given the apparently coordinated nature of the
bombings and the fear that more could be
coming.
Borno State’s Justice Commissioner Kaka Shehu
confirmed all three attacks but declined to
discuss casualty figures.
He immediately blamed Boko Haram, saying
the latest bloodshed was in response to the
defeats suffered by the insurgents in recent
weeks.
“The terrorists are angry with the way they
were sacked from towns and villages and are
now venting their anger,” Shehu told AFP.
Elections looming
Nigeria postponed its elections initially
scheduled for February to March 28 after
security chiefs said they needed more time to
weaken Boko Haram.
While reported victories in the remote northeast
may enable polling in areas previously
controlled by the insurgents, rising unrest in
Maiduguri is likely to raise fear as election day
approaches.
Boko Haram’s leader Abubakar Shekau has
vowed to disrupt the vote and widespread
unrest, especially near polling stations, could
prove disastrous.
Hundreds of thousands of people displaced by
the conflict are living in Maiduguri, swelling the
city’s population to well over two million.
Maiduguri residents have voiced overwhelming
support for opposition leader and former
military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, who is
thought to be running neck-and-neck with
President Goodluck Jonathan.
But Jonathan is still expected to win widespread
support in the south of the country and
analysts have said the likely result is still to
close to call.
bombings, including one by a
female suicide attacker, killed at
least 58 people in northeast
Nigeria’s largest city of Maiduguri
on Saturday, in the latest violence
blamed on Boko Haram.
Many children were among the dead and at
least 139 others were wounded in the
explosions that hit two crowded markets and a
busy bus station.
The Nigerian Islamist militants have relentlessly
attacked Maiduguri throughout their six-year
uprising, which has cost more than 13,000 lives
and security forces in the city have struggled to
contain the bloodshed.
Nigeria has since last month claimed key
victories over Boko Haram in an offensive being
waged in cooperation with forces from
neighboring Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
Several towns and villages in the northeast
previously captured by the insurgents have
reportedly been taken back by government
troops and experts have said that in response
Boko Haram was likely to increase attacks on
civilian targets in major cities.
Markets, bus station attacked
A woman with explosives strapped to her body
blew herself up at roughly 11:20 am (1020
GMT) when she got out of a motorized rickshaw
at Maiduguri’s Baga fish market, said the head
of the fisherman’s union, Abubakar Gamandi,
who was at the scene.
“The bomb was devastating because it occurred
at a crowded area,” said Jamuna Jarmi, a
grocery seller.
Boko Haram has deployed women and even
girls as young as seven as human bombs in
attacks across northern Nigeria in recent
months, prompting global condemnation,
including from other jihadist groups.
About an hour later another blast rocked the
popular Monday Market, causing chaos as locals
voiced anger at security forces who struggled to
control the scene.
Just after 1:00 pm a third blast hit a used car
lot which is attached to the busy Borno Express
bus terminal.
There were indications that the second and
thirds blasts were also carried out by suicide
bombers but details were not immediately
clear.
Gamandi, who spoke to AFP from the Maiduguri
General Hospital where he was helping
coordinate rescue efforts gave the toll of 47
dead and 50 wounded for the three blasts.
His figures were confirmed by a nurse at
Maiduguri General and a vigilante leader in
Borno, Danlami Ajaokuta, whose civilian fighters
have been working with military across the
northeast in fighting Boko Haram.
Ajaokuta said the security forces had ordered
the closure of all businesses across the city
given the apparently coordinated nature of the
bombings and the fear that more could be
coming.
Borno State’s Justice Commissioner Kaka Shehu
confirmed all three attacks but declined to
discuss casualty figures.
He immediately blamed Boko Haram, saying
the latest bloodshed was in response to the
defeats suffered by the insurgents in recent
weeks.
“The terrorists are angry with the way they
were sacked from towns and villages and are
now venting their anger,” Shehu told AFP.
Elections looming
Nigeria postponed its elections initially
scheduled for February to March 28 after
security chiefs said they needed more time to
weaken Boko Haram.
While reported victories in the remote northeast
may enable polling in areas previously
controlled by the insurgents, rising unrest in
Maiduguri is likely to raise fear as election day
approaches.
Boko Haram’s leader Abubakar Shekau has
vowed to disrupt the vote and widespread
unrest, especially near polling stations, could
prove disastrous.
Hundreds of thousands of people displaced by
the conflict are living in Maiduguri, swelling the
city’s population to well over two million.
Maiduguri residents have voiced overwhelming
support for opposition leader and former
military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, who is
thought to be running neck-and-neck with
President Goodluck Jonathan.
But Jonathan is still expected to win widespread
support in the south of the country and
analysts have said the likely result is still to
close to call.
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