3 die in suicide bombings in Borno

The Police in Borno State yesterday confirmed that four people were killed while eight others sustained injuries as a result of multiple suicide bomb attacks in Maiduguri metropolis and environs.

All the deceased were the suicide bombers who failed in their separate attempts to kill their targets, the police said.

The police account differed from that of a witness at Kaleri community in Jere Local Government Area of the state, Malam Mukhtar Ahmad, who told our correspondents that he saw about 10 corpses being evacuated shortly after one of the explosions.

The Police Commissioner in the state, Mr. Damian Chukwu, said in a statement yesterday, “At 8:20am, four female suicide bombers attempted to infiltrate Maiduguri through a farmland behind the parapet in London-Sudan of Kaleri area, Jere LGA. On sighting the joint security personnel deployed along the parapet, the first bomber hurriedly detonated her suicide vest, killing herself and a second suicide bomber in the farmland. As a result of the explosion, farmers who were running back to town were stopped for screening at the entry point by security personnel.

“A third female bomber sneaked into the group of persons being screened and detonated her suicide vest, killing herself alone while eight others, including a member of Civilian JTFsustained injuries,” he said, adding that in the ensuing stampede, a fourth suicide bomber was sighted by vigilant security personnel while trying to cross the parapet, and was gunned down.

He said the injured were evacuated to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and were responding to treatment.