Boko Haram suicide bomber kills 32 in Tuesday night attack in Yola

A night-time suicide bomber killed 32 people and wounded 80, Tuesday, at a popular market in Yola, Adamawa.

The explosion occurred at a fruit and vegetable market beside a main road in the Jimeta district of Yola, the Adamawa’s state capital around 8pm.

The terror attack has been linked to Boko Haram extremists.

Tuesday night’s blast breaks a three-week hiatus in bombings after a string of suicide attacks culminated in twin explosions in mosques in two north-eastern cities that killed 42 people and wounded more than 100 on October 23.

One of the mosques attacked was in Yola, capital of Adamawa state, where the insurgents struck again.

It was the third suicide bombing in as many months in a city overflowing with some of the 2.3 million refugees driven from their homes by the extremist Islamic uprising.

“At least 32 people were killed and about 80 wounded victims were evacuated to nearby hospitals after the blast,” coordinator Sa’ad Bello of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed.

Most victims were vendors and passers-by, said Deputy Superintendent Othman Abubakar, the police spokesman for Adamawa state.

Nigeria’s military has reported foiling several suicide bombers recently, and killing and capturing insurgents as it destroys Boko Haram camps in both air raids and ground attacks.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the recent Jimeta bomb blast, describing it as ‘callous’, just as he also condoled with the families of victims of the terror attack.

‘The enemies of humanity will never win. Hand in hand, we will rid our land of terrorism,’ President Buhari said in a tweet via his Twitter handle, @Mbuhari, Tuesday night.

“Pres @Mbuhari extends sincere condolences to the families of the victims of tonight’s callous attacks on Yola.”

Also, reacting, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, condemned the bomb attack on 17 November in the city of Yola, in the north-eastern state of Adamawa, Nigeria, which resulted in dozens dead and scores injured.

He extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the Government and people of Nigeria, and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured.

The Secretary-General reiterates that no political or ideological objective whatsoever justifies the loss of life and terror to which civilians are being subjected. He also reiterates the UN’s support to the Nigerian government in its fight against terrorism, which – to be effective – should also be grounded in international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law.