B’Haram attacks Buhari estate in Yobe, kills 18

Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase

Police in Yobe State on Wednesday confirmed that suicide bombers attacked the state capital, Damaturu, in the early hours of the day and killed 18 persons and injured eight others.

It was however independently gathered that three out of the injured persons had been referred to Dala Orthopedic Hospital in Kano.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Yobe State, ASP Toyin Gbadegesin, who spoke to journalists a few hours after the attack, said the number of casualties stood at 18 persons while eight persons were wounded.

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Given a graphic detail of the incident, Gbadegesin said, “What happened this morning was caused by three suicide bombers who detonated their devices at three different places. There were two suicide bombers’ attacks in different places at Buhari Estate while the third one took place at a Fulani settlement behind Zanna Zakariya Housing Estate, all in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.

“In the first blast at the Fulani settlement, 11 persons were killed while the two others at Buhari Estate killed six people (four at the Shopping Centre and two near a community mosque).

“One person later died at the hospital,” Gbadegesin disclosed.

Also speaking on the attack, the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Musa Idi Jidawa, told journalists that the attack was carried out by some boys of about 17 years old in three separate places within the state capital.

He corroborated the police figure of 18 deaths including the suicide bombers, stating that, “I can confirm to you that so far, we got 18 persons that have been confirmed dead. The number of wounded persons is 10.”

The state Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, has directed that free medical treatment should be given to all victims involved in the attacks.

The governor, in an e-mail statement signed by his spokesman, Mallam Abdullahi Bego, expressed his condolence to the families of the victims of the suicide attack.

Gaidam also condemned the attack, describing it as “cowardly and barbaric.”

He commended the new approach to the fight against the insurgents by the Federal Government, and expressed his confidence that the crisis would soon be over.

The statement added, “The governor remains confident that despite these barbaric and unjustified suicide attacks, the Boko Haram insurgency will come to an end soon in view of the all-hands-on-deck approach adopted by the Federal Government.

“The governor commends the security agents on the ground in Yobe State for their efforts in the general security improvement in the state. He urges them, however, to step up surveillance effort to prevent insurgents and criminals from conducting further attacks.”

Also. scores of people were killed in explosions on Tuesday night at two mosques in Gubio town in northern part of Borno State, a member of youth vigilante group told our correspondent on the telephone on Wednesday.

He said the explosions occurred at about 7.30pm when Muslims were preparing for the late evening prayer in two mosques in the area.

The medical source said the blast was from bombs believed to have been planted by suspected members of the Boko Haram insurgents.

The medical practitioner said, “The incident has been reported to the authority while arrangement for the evacuation of victims to medical facilities within the state capital has been concluded.”

But in spite of these attacks, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, said on Wednesday that the military was restrategising towards winning the war against Boko Haram and meeting the December 2015 deadline given to the military to end insurgency in the country.

Olonisakin, who made this remark during his tour of military formations and units in Rivers State, explained that his visit to the state was aimed at ascertaining the level of preparedness of troops to fight the current threat to national security.

He pointed out that the measures were being put in place to improve military tactics so as to enable the Nigerian troops to perform better during operations against Boko Haram and other threats to security.