Troops of 7 Division Garrison of the Nigeria Army, Maiduguri, have destroyed a factory where Boko Haram manufactured rockets.
In a statement, the army spokesman, Col. Sani Usman revealed that the factory at Jamrari was uncovered and destroyed during a special raid carried out at the general area of Delwa.
According to him, “This unprecedented development has put paid to the much-touted ability of the terrorists to fabricate rockets and their launchers using rudimentary materials.
“This has further crippled the terrorists and greatly emboldened the troops in carrying out more offensive actions against the terrorists till they are defeated.”
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, who is in constant communication with the troops, commended them for this singular act and other similar feats, just as he encouraged them to do more, asserting that the terrorists are on the verge of being defeated.
Twin blasts kill 15, injure 23 at GSM market in Kano
Two girls wearing explosive vests Wednesday blew themselves up and killed at least 15 young men and wounded 23 others at the Farm Centre GSM Market in Kano metropolis.
The incident occurred at about 4pm.
Vice chairman of the GSM market told our reporter that with the help of the youths, policemen and members of Red Cross Society, the market officials were able to evacuate 16 dead bodies at the first blast point, and another six outside the market where the second suicide bomber detonated her explosive vest.
According to him, the first female suicide bomber struck a few metres from the market where many young men carried out rush-hour sales, killing six on the spot.
“Shortly after the first explosion, when people were seeking refuge inside the tiny exit to the market, another explosion occurred where a large number of young men and children lost their lives.
“We were made to believe that the second explosion occurred right in the place where a woman was sitting down for a while and carrying a toddler. Those around her who survived the explosion confirmed that the same woman exploded the second bomb.”
Malam Abba confirmed to our reporter that the attack was the second terror attack on the market. Few years ago, the insurgents attacked the immigration office beside the GSM market.
Our reporter who was at the scene of the blast witnessed a moment of sorrow and anguish among the youths around the market as they beheld the tables, benches and hundreds of shoes scattered all over the scene.
At the state-owned Nassarawa Specialist Hospital, injured youths were laid out on the bare floor and treated by the medical personnel. It was a difficult moment for both the injured and the health providers considering the urgency of the situation and the overwhelming number of the injured to be attended to and the nature of the wounds.
A resident of the area, Jamilu Yakasai, who was interviewed by our reporter, revealed that his only brother, Babawo, was among the injured but he could not say what type of injuries he sustained, but that he was receiving medical attention.
His brother, Babawo, was among those lying on the bare floor of the hospital, but he was unconscious and breathing weakly.
A number of anguished parents were standing at different points at the hospital; those who discovered their children were dead cried loudly.
At the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital in the municipal, several injured youths were seen receiving medical attention for the various degrees of injuries they sustained.
A survivor, Aminu Bashir, who was treated at the hospital, said he saw many of his friends lying dead after the blast.
A mortuary official said 15 corpses had so far been received.
This incident occurred almost six months since a female suicide bomber blew herself up at Dangi roundabout, Gyadi Gyadi Kano, when she attempted to kill women worshipers in the month of Ramadan.
Buhari reiterates vow to wipe out Boko Haram
… Condemns Kano, Yola attacks
President Muhammadu Buhari has called for increased vigilance among the civilian population to help ward off suicide bomb attacks on soft targets in the country.
The president said this while condemning the Yola and Kano suicide bombings.
According to a statement by his senior special assistant on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, the President extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims as well as to the government and people of Adamawa and Kano states.
“President Buhari reassures Nigerians that his administration is very much determined to wipe out Boko Haram in Nigeria and bring all perpetrators of these heinous crimes against humanity to justice.”
The President also urged Nigerians not to despair in the face of the terror attacks but to have confidence in the ability of Nigeria’s Armed Forces and security agencies to overcome Boko Haram very soon.
He believes, however, that vigilance is a potential life saver, since security agents cannot be everywhere to deter every planned attack.
“Citizen’s vigilance will therefore help to reduce the frequency of such attacks,” the statement read.
I escaped Yola bomb blast by instinct – Survivor
A woman who escaped Tuesday’s bomb blast at Tipper Garage along Jimeta bypass in Adamawa State has revealed that her instinct made her run away from the scene of the bomb blast.
The woman who preferred anonymity said she was hawking food at the Tipper Garage when the blast occurred.
She said shortly before the blast occurred, a stranger came to the garage and started sharing N500 notes thereby attracting a large crowd of people who struggled to get a share of the money.
“My instincts told me to get away from the scene as fast as I could as I knew going there to collect money was not a wise idea. I quickly left the scene as I repressed my greed knowing that it is unwise to gather around a complete stranger to collect money considering the security risks associated with the venture,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of Federal Medical Centre, Yola, Mallam Muhammadu Dodo, told our correspondent that so far, seven victims of the blast had been treated and discharged from the hospital, while other victims are receiving treatment and in stable condition.
He also stated that following the blast, the management recalled all medical personnel to attend to the situation.
Reports indicated that the death toll did not rise significantly as only one person additionally died after the blast, bringing the death toll to 33.
Nigeria, Cameroon pledge to end Boko Haram – FG
The Federal Government and Cameroon have restated their commitment to combating terrorism and insurgency in the region.
President Muhammadu Buhari had solicited the support and collaboration of President Paul Biya in the fight against terrorism and trans-border crimes during his working visit to Cameroon from July 27- 29, 2015.
In his welcome address during the fourth session of the Nigerian-Cameroon trans-border security committee in Abuja, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama said Nigeria and Cameroon remain resolute and determined to defeat Boko Haram, adding that the terror attacks over the weekend in Paris, France, “draws once again into sharp focus the global dimension and reach of terror.”
The minister who was represented by Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Mrs Khadijat Ibrahim, said, “Aside from the loss of a large number of lives as a result of the crimes of the purveyors of hate, extremism and terror, more than 1.5 million of our people have been displaced from their homes and deprived of their economic means of livelihood.’’
He equally commended the Cameroonian government for providing refuge to Nigerians who fled into Cameroon for safety.
He also urged the meeting to strengthen the bilateral relations of both countries through the instrumentality of the trans-border committees to complement the partnership at the multilateral level in order to defeat Boko Haram.
In his opening speech, the national security adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, noted that the session was coming at a very crucial time, stating that the Nigerian government’s marching order to defeat Boko Haram terrorists by the end of 2015 is presently being carried out with military precision.
Cameroon’s minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation who doubles as the co-chair of the committee, Mr Rene Sadi, said that he had no doubt that the border states and regional governors will pursue the same agenda and will focus on intensifying cooperation in matters of trans-border security between both countries.
The minister added that, among other issues, those which he deemed more prominent are ‘’custom frauds and smuggling; trans-border criminality and banditry; trafficking in persons; illicit circulation of arms; drug trafficking; maritime piracy and uncontrolled cattle movement.’’
Yola blast: Facebook activates safety check
A social network, Facebook, has activated its “Safety Check” feature after more than 30 people were killed and dozens wounded in a blast at a market in Yola, Adamawa State.
Founder of the social network, Mark Zuckerberg, made the announcement in a post on his account early Wednesday.
“We’ve activated Safety Check again after the bombing in Nigeria this evening,” Zuckerberg said after Tuesday’s attack.
Facebook’s decision to implement the feature – which allows users to “check-in” and let family and friends know they’re safe – came after the network received a heavy backlash for activating it for the attacks in Paris on Friday – but not after bomb blasts hit the Lebanese capital, Beirut, a day earlier.
According to the satellite news channel Aljazeera, critics accused the San Francisco-based website of valuing the lives of Western victims more than those in other regions – a charge denied by Facebook.
“After the Paris attacks last week, we made the decision to use Safety Check for more tragic events like this going forward. We’re now working quickly to develop criteria for the new policy and determine when and how this service can be most useful,” Zuckerberg said.
Social media users were quick to demand Facebook activate the feature following the bombing in Yola, Adamawa State.
The activation of the safety feature after the deadly blast in the state was welcomed by some users on social media.
But Facebook’s move was not enough for other social media users. Unlike after Friday’s attacks in France, the social network did not activate the “flag filter tool” which allows users to overlay a particular flag on their profile picture as a way of expressing solidarity.
-Leadership
