Deadly blasts mar holiday in Nigeria
Scores are killed in the attacks as families celebrate Eid al- Fitr. Terrorist group Boko Haram is blamed.
NAIROBI, Kenya — As families in northern Nigeria marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan, terrorists mounted a series of deadly attacks, killing scores of people, including many children.
Families traditionally f lock into the streets to pray, shop and celebrate one the most joyful celebrations in the Muslim year, Eid al- Fitr, which marks the end of a month of daytime fasting and is meant to be a time of unity.
But a market, a mosque and a prayer ground were all targets of attacks. Boko Haram, a terrorist group linked to Islamic State, was believed responsible.
The attacks came just days before Nigeria’s new president, Muhammadu Buhari, was due to f ly to Washington, where he is expected to press President Obama for more help in the fight against Boko Haram.
Two bombs exploded late Thursday at a market in the northeastern city of Gombe, killing dozens of people shopping for Eid alFitr, the National Emergency Management Agency, or NEMA, said in a statement on Twitter.
In Damaturu, the capital of Yobe state, at least 15 people died Friday in two bomb explosions near an open- air prayer ground, set aside for prayers to mark the end of Ramadan, according to police, though the army put the toll at 50. It is not unusual to see conf licting reports on casualties.
The third blast occurred at a mosque.
The explosions were caused by three females wearing suicide vests, according to NEMA, although it was not known whether they detonated the bombs themselves. According to a statement from army spokesman Sani Usman, one of the bombers was a girl about 10 years old.
Boko Haram has increasingly used young women and girls, wearing explosive vests under their long f lowing gowns, to mount its attacks. Some reports suggest those blasts are detonated remotely.
According to NEMA, the explosion at the prayer ground happened as people were lining up to be searched before entering the area, a measure designed to prevent an attack.
The attacks underscored the difficulty for Nigeria’s military in confronting a nimble, ruthless terrorist group capable of devastating attacks against civilian targets.
Buhari recently sacked top military commanders amid accusations of human rights abuses, corruption and incompetence in the f ight against the militant group. The president also shifted the military’s command center to the northeastern city of Maiduguri to sharpen the response to Boko Haram, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, only to see attacks surge during Ramadan.
Nigerians, impatient for an end to the violence, have high expectations of Buhari, with some already criticizing him for not slowing the insurgency after just seven weeks in office. Some have also questioned his delay in appointing a Cabinet.
Religious leaders, northern governors and former heads of state on Friday urged Nigerians to be patient and unite behind Buhari to end the Boko Haram insurgency.
In a message marking Eid al- Fitr, Buhari called on all Nigerians to accept the lessons of self- denial and sacrifice that marked the month of fasting, as the country sought to overcome the damage wrought by years of bad governance.
He called for patience and understanding, saying he was hard at work on the nation’s problems.
“I was very aware of your high expectations when I assumed office and I reassure you, my fellow citizens, that since my inauguration ... I have been working with utmost dedication to meticulously plan and tackle the many national challenges which we identified and promised to resolve.
“I also share the feelings of those who think that we should be moving faster. But I urge them and all Nigerians to trust that my commitment to real and positive change in our nation is as firm as ever,” Buhari said.
Nigeria’s new army commander, Maj. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, visited Damaturu on Friday. He joined thousands of Muslims for prayers at Damaturu’s central mosque, not far from where the blasts happened.