Kano and Yobe states yesterday
came under attacks from suicide bombers suspected to be Boko Haram
members which left no fewer than 30 persons dead and over 70 others
injured.
The attack in Kano State occurred at Kano Line Motor Park at Kofar Nassarawa area of the state when two teenage suicide bombers detonated the bombs strapped to their bodies, killing no fewer than 12 persons and leaving over 20 injured.
The Yobe State attack occurred at the GSM Village market in Potiskum when a female suicide bomber, aged 22, exploded bombs wired to her body, reportedly killing over 18 people and injuring over 42 others.
The incident occurred at about 1:20pm along the Muhammed Idriss Way, where sellers of second-hand handset usually display their goods at GSM Village (Kasuwar Tsaye).
While the Kano State commissioner of police, CP Ibrahim Idris, confirmed the deaths in the state, including those of the two suicide bombers, a competent source in the Yobe State command confirmed the Pokistum incident, revealing that policemen and soldiers were still busy conveying victims from the scene and taking them to medical facilities.
CP Idris, who revealed that the incident occurred at 3pm and affected two Sharon buses and a golf car, stated that the two suicide bombers posed as passengers and one entered the bus and detonated his bomb, while the other stayed near the bus.
Our reporter, who was around the area when the explosion occurred, witnessed ambulances and commercial tricycle operators conveying wounded persons to the nearby Murtala Muhammad General Hospital, Kano.
An eyewitness and Kano State chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Muttaka Bala Sulaiman, told journalists that a Sharon saloon car arrived at the motor park at about 3pm and pretended to be picking passengers. However, the suicide bombers were brought in the car, which later exploded, killing and maiming the waiting passengers.
Malam Sulaiman confirmed the death of the driver of the 18-seater bus who was about to collect the passengers’ list when the bomb suddenly exploded and instantly killed him and the union member who took the paper to the driver
The secretary of NARTO, Karota motor park, Nura Abdullahi, said the blast affected an 18-seater Hummer Mazda vehicle moving to Dutse, capital of Jigawa State, and the Golf 3 wagon which also had few passengers and another bus.
Abdullahi said the point at which the blast occurred was area from where passengers were usually conveyed to Abuja-Zuba, Dutse-Jigawa, Kaduna and Wudil town in Kano, adding that he heard about three different explosions.
Our reporter, who was at the Murtala Muhammad Hospital where the dead and injured were, gathered that there were 20 injured persons receiving treatment at D Ward in the hospital.
A surviving but injured victim, Malam Sale Inuwa, was the driver of the Golf 3 car.
Inuwa, who received a head injury, told LEADERSHIP that he could not remember anything other than the loud bang that threw him out of his car.
He said he lived at Tudun Wada in Churi and that he was telling passengers to quickly get out of his car when the bomb exploded.
One NARTO member and many others from both transport unions sustained injuries.
An eyewitness of the Yobe attack, Isa Audu, who survived the bomb blasts, said that he counted eight corpses.
According to him, the blasts occurred close to the GSM Village market which was targeted by a suicide bomber but fail to reach.
According to him, “I was inside the mosque when I had the sound of blast around 1:20pm, so I tried to run and minutes later we discovered the blast was near the GSM village.
A member of the GSM market association, Isa Adamu Isa, told our correspondent that several corpses were evacuated to Potiskum General Hospital while many victims were referred to Federal Medical Centre, Nguru and Azare of Bauchi State for medical attention.
“We were at the general hospital to assist the hospital management and count the dead bodies. In fact, I saw eight dead bodies and many ambulances bringing in victims of the blast; 42 were injured,” he said.
A hospital source confirmed the casualty figures, adding that the dead had been deposited at the morgue.
Jonathan condemns attacks
President Goodluck Jonathan has described the suicide bombings in Potiskum and Kano respectively as acts by misguided and desperate fanatics who are battling with the reality that they are currently facing extinction.
In a statement by presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, the president commiserated with the families of those who died in the bombings, and assured Nigerians that the days of mourning victims of terror attacks in the country would soon be over.
“President Goodluck Jonathan condemns the reversion by Boko Haram to the callous bombing of soft targets in parts of Nigeria in the wake of the ongoing rapid recovery by gallant Nigerian troops and their multinational allies of areas formerly controlled by the sect “as the tide has now definitely turned against Boko Haram.
“The president shares the grief of all the bereaved families and is deeply saddened by the continued loss of many innocent lives at the hands of misguided and desperate fanatics who are now feeling the heat of the intense counter–insurgency operation by the Nigerian Armed Forces,” Abati said, adding that the end of the insurgency was in sight.
PDP decries attacks
The national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adamu Mu’azu also condemned the attacks on innocent Nigerians in Kano and Potuskum in Yobe State respectively.
PDP national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement said the party was “deeply saddened by the news of the attacks in the two cities, which claimed the lives of harmless citizens going about their legitimate endeavours.”
Military releases video of coordinated attacks on insurgents
Meanwhile, the Nigerian military has released a video clip showing how troops in well-coordinated air operations, which involved the Air Force and ground troops, have maintained the momentum over Boko Haram terrorists. The massive air operations have destroyed some of the terrorists’ hideouts around Baga, Gwoza, Sambisa, Bama and Pulka.
According to the video clip obtained by PRNigeria from the Nigerian military authorities this week and made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday, terrorists were seen in complete disarray from their hideouts under the impact of aerial bombardments by the Nigerian military aircraft.
Boko Haram mine kills 2 Nigerien soldiers
A mine allegedly planted by the Boko Haram fighters killed at least two soldiers in Bosso town in Niger’s south-eastern region of Diffa, Niger’s defence ministry said in a statement.
It was the first time Niger has accused the insurgents of planting a mine in recent fighting around region, Hausa service of the BBC reports.
“A patrol team of defence and security forces rolled over a mine planted by Boko Haram in the town of Bosso. The toll is two soldiers killed and four others wounded,” the ministry said.
The attack in Kano State occurred at Kano Line Motor Park at Kofar Nassarawa area of the state when two teenage suicide bombers detonated the bombs strapped to their bodies, killing no fewer than 12 persons and leaving over 20 injured.
The Yobe State attack occurred at the GSM Village market in Potiskum when a female suicide bomber, aged 22, exploded bombs wired to her body, reportedly killing over 18 people and injuring over 42 others.
The incident occurred at about 1:20pm along the Muhammed Idriss Way, where sellers of second-hand handset usually display their goods at GSM Village (Kasuwar Tsaye).
While the Kano State commissioner of police, CP Ibrahim Idris, confirmed the deaths in the state, including those of the two suicide bombers, a competent source in the Yobe State command confirmed the Pokistum incident, revealing that policemen and soldiers were still busy conveying victims from the scene and taking them to medical facilities.
CP Idris, who revealed that the incident occurred at 3pm and affected two Sharon buses and a golf car, stated that the two suicide bombers posed as passengers and one entered the bus and detonated his bomb, while the other stayed near the bus.
Our reporter, who was around the area when the explosion occurred, witnessed ambulances and commercial tricycle operators conveying wounded persons to the nearby Murtala Muhammad General Hospital, Kano.
An eyewitness and Kano State chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Muttaka Bala Sulaiman, told journalists that a Sharon saloon car arrived at the motor park at about 3pm and pretended to be picking passengers. However, the suicide bombers were brought in the car, which later exploded, killing and maiming the waiting passengers.
Malam Sulaiman confirmed the death of the driver of the 18-seater bus who was about to collect the passengers’ list when the bomb suddenly exploded and instantly killed him and the union member who took the paper to the driver
The secretary of NARTO, Karota motor park, Nura Abdullahi, said the blast affected an 18-seater Hummer Mazda vehicle moving to Dutse, capital of Jigawa State, and the Golf 3 wagon which also had few passengers and another bus.
Abdullahi said the point at which the blast occurred was area from where passengers were usually conveyed to Abuja-Zuba, Dutse-Jigawa, Kaduna and Wudil town in Kano, adding that he heard about three different explosions.
Our reporter, who was at the Murtala Muhammad Hospital where the dead and injured were, gathered that there were 20 injured persons receiving treatment at D Ward in the hospital.
A surviving but injured victim, Malam Sale Inuwa, was the driver of the Golf 3 car.
Inuwa, who received a head injury, told LEADERSHIP that he could not remember anything other than the loud bang that threw him out of his car.
He said he lived at Tudun Wada in Churi and that he was telling passengers to quickly get out of his car when the bomb exploded.
One NARTO member and many others from both transport unions sustained injuries.
An eyewitness of the Yobe attack, Isa Audu, who survived the bomb blasts, said that he counted eight corpses.
According to him, the blasts occurred close to the GSM Village market which was targeted by a suicide bomber but fail to reach.
According to him, “I was inside the mosque when I had the sound of blast around 1:20pm, so I tried to run and minutes later we discovered the blast was near the GSM village.
A member of the GSM market association, Isa Adamu Isa, told our correspondent that several corpses were evacuated to Potiskum General Hospital while many victims were referred to Federal Medical Centre, Nguru and Azare of Bauchi State for medical attention.
“We were at the general hospital to assist the hospital management and count the dead bodies. In fact, I saw eight dead bodies and many ambulances bringing in victims of the blast; 42 were injured,” he said.
A hospital source confirmed the casualty figures, adding that the dead had been deposited at the morgue.
Jonathan condemns attacks
President Goodluck Jonathan has described the suicide bombings in Potiskum and Kano respectively as acts by misguided and desperate fanatics who are battling with the reality that they are currently facing extinction.
In a statement by presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, the president commiserated with the families of those who died in the bombings, and assured Nigerians that the days of mourning victims of terror attacks in the country would soon be over.
“President Goodluck Jonathan condemns the reversion by Boko Haram to the callous bombing of soft targets in parts of Nigeria in the wake of the ongoing rapid recovery by gallant Nigerian troops and their multinational allies of areas formerly controlled by the sect “as the tide has now definitely turned against Boko Haram.
“The president shares the grief of all the bereaved families and is deeply saddened by the continued loss of many innocent lives at the hands of misguided and desperate fanatics who are now feeling the heat of the intense counter–insurgency operation by the Nigerian Armed Forces,” Abati said, adding that the end of the insurgency was in sight.
PDP decries attacks
The national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adamu Mu’azu also condemned the attacks on innocent Nigerians in Kano and Potuskum in Yobe State respectively.
PDP national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement said the party was “deeply saddened by the news of the attacks in the two cities, which claimed the lives of harmless citizens going about their legitimate endeavours.”
Military releases video of coordinated attacks on insurgents
Meanwhile, the Nigerian military has released a video clip showing how troops in well-coordinated air operations, which involved the Air Force and ground troops, have maintained the momentum over Boko Haram terrorists. The massive air operations have destroyed some of the terrorists’ hideouts around Baga, Gwoza, Sambisa, Bama and Pulka.
According to the video clip obtained by PRNigeria from the Nigerian military authorities this week and made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday, terrorists were seen in complete disarray from their hideouts under the impact of aerial bombardments by the Nigerian military aircraft.
Boko Haram mine kills 2 Nigerien soldiers
A mine allegedly planted by the Boko Haram fighters killed at least two soldiers in Bosso town in Niger’s south-eastern region of Diffa, Niger’s defence ministry said in a statement.
It was the first time Niger has accused the insurgents of planting a mine in recent fighting around region, Hausa service of the BBC reports.
“A patrol team of defence and security forces rolled over a mine planted by Boko Haram in the town of Bosso. The toll is two soldiers killed and four others wounded,” the ministry said.
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