Home / News / Local / 3 killed, 18 injured, as twin blasts rock Maiduguri; Gov. Shettima summons markets, ‎motor parks, shopping centers’ officials to emergency security meeting
Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno.

3 killed, 18 injured, as twin blasts rock Maiduguri; Gov. Shettima summons markets, ‎motor parks, shopping centers’ officials to emergency security meeting

 Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno.

Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno.
BY ABDULLAHI ISAH, MAIDUGVURI

At least one person and two female suicide bombers were killed, while 18 others were injured in a twin suicide bomb attack that rocked Maiduguri, the Borno state capital on Sunday.

An eye witness Mallam Modu Jere said the suicide attack which occurred around the Maiduguri Monday Market at about 8:45 am was followed by the second one at an interval of 2 to 3 minutes.

“ I was talking when in front of me I heard a loud sound. When I raised up my head I saw some people shouting. Before I looked up, I heard the second blast, booom, then we started running for safety. After some time I came back and saw the pieces of the body of two female suicide bombers with another body on the ground, while sympathizers were busy evacuating the injured ones”, Mallam Jere said.

He said “to be sincere I saw one corpse and pieces of female suicide bombers but I can’t tell you how many people got injured, as they were being evacuated to hospital”.

While briefing Governor Kashim Shettima at the scene of the blasts, the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Damien Chukwu said the suicide attacks were carried out by two women in two close spots, both outside the Maiduguri Monday market before 10am, adding that one person died at the scene while 18 persons sustained various degrees of injuries.

Speaking at the scene of the incident, the Borno State Governor, Hon. Kashim Shettima has summoned officials of all markets, motor parks, shopping complexes, football fields and other places of public gatherings in Maiduguri, for an emergency security meeting with heads of security agencies and the civilian JTF.

The meeting, which is expected to take place on Monday at the Government House in Maiduguri, was in response to the twin suicide attacks at the Maiduguri Monday market on Sunday morning which resulted in the death of one and 18 persons sustaining various degrees of injuries.

The governor said “Tomorrow, we will be having an emergency security meeting involving management of all the markets, motor parks, shopping centers, football fields and other attack prone areas and the we will invite the Civilian JTF and of course our security officials so that we cross pollinate ideas and come up with some new measures that will strengthen our existing security structure around markets. We have been taking different steps. aAs the insurgents change their ways, we will all meet and come up with measures that will not be made public.”

“This suicide attack is highly unfortunate; I condole and commiserate with the families of the victims. Insha Allah, we will always do the best we can to prevent this kind of blood bath,” Shettima said.

Our correspondent reports that in December, 2014, Governor Kashim Shettima had ordered the barricade of most markets while youth volunteers under the Civilian JTF ‎were posted to man security around markets in Maiduguri. The Boko Haram insurgents had repeatedly targeted the Maiduguri Monday market using persons who conceal bombs and pretend to be buyers of goods, targeting traders and customers before blowing themselves up.

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