Maiduguri twin blasts kill nine, injure 24

Borno State Commissioner of Police, Demian Chukwu and Deputy Director, Army Public Relations Department, Col. Mustapha Anka, yesterday, disclosed that the twin bomb blasts in Maiduguri killed nine people and wounded 24 others at Bakassi camp and the

NNPC deport gate.

The twin blasts occurred simultaneously on Damboa road at 6.55am and 7.07am, while the people were going about their normal businesses after the dawn prayers.

Addressing a news conference, Saturday, at the police headquarters in Maiduguri, Chukwu disclosed that the nine victims were killed at the Bakassi Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot entrance.

He said that 15 others that were also injured, were taken to hospital for treatment, adding, “Some displaced persons in Bakasi camp were coming out to carry on their normal business.

A suspected suicide bomber could have forced himself in their midst; and when he had quite a number of the IDPs clustered; he detonated the explosives and killed six, including the suicide bomber, who died instantly.”

The CP said five minutes later; at about 7.07am on Saturday, there was another explosion along Damboa road; just at the entrance of NNPC depot, stressing that the suicide bomber was in a tricycle with two others, including the rider, pursuing a petroleum truck to make more impact with the blast.

“Unfortunately, as they were trying to overtake the moving truck, a 406 Peugeot car came in between the truck and tricycle; and suddenly detonated, killing three persons,” said Chukwu.

The police, he explained, have been to the scene and evacuated three corpses for deposition in the mortuary and identifications, adding that the affected areas had been cleared and cordoned off for the restoration of normalcy.

Also, Col. Anka said that the Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC),Brig.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu, has already visited the scene to get firsthand information.

He said: “The Acting GOC 7 Division has already visited the place and appealed to the people to be calm as concerted efforts were on to ensure the safety of lives and property.

“Troops and security agencies have been mobilised and the injured have been evacuated, while efforts are ongoing to comb the general area, as well as, entry and exit to and from Maiduguri.”