* Female suicide bomber kills 15 members of a family
* Village Head survives twin blasts
Soldiers of the Nigerian Army Sunday arrested seven Boko Haram bomb specialists in Kaduna while they were planning to attack the state with several improvised explosive devices (IEDs), Army officials said.
The officials said given the number of IEDs recovered from the arrested bombers, Kaduna State should count itself lucky that a major catastrophe that might have affected lives of innocent persons has been averted.
Spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman said the suspects were nabbed after a long period of investigation and intelligence sharing.
He said, “Another catastrophe was averted in Kaduna State and other contiguous areas when troops of the Nigerian Army arrested 7 suspected Boko Haram terrorists with bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) specialists.
“The terrorists were arrested in Kaduna after painstaking surveillance and proactive intelligence operations over a period of time.
“From all indications, the suspects were in Kaduna to conduct suicide bombings, kill and maim innocent citizens in the state and other surrounding areas during the festive period. Recall that recently, in Maiduguri, some of them were arrested while trying to detonate IEDs carried in food containers in public places.”
Troops repel attack in Borno
Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, last night came under attack by Boko Haram gunmen who were repelled by soldiers of the Nigerian Army, at the same time as two female suicide bombers succeeded in detonating their explosives and killing at least 15 members of the same family in another part of the city.
The attack, which many described as a desperate show of relevance by the insurgents, was coming days after the Nigerian government declared the insurgents defeated.
Sources in Maiduguri said the attackers attempted to invade the city through a village called Aladuwari, about 2km South of Maiduguri, but were effectively repelled by soldiers of the 7 Division, Nigerian Army.
But it seemed the Aladuwari attack was to create some kind of detour by the insurgents to enable two female suicide bombers enter the city from another flank.
The two female suicide bombers entered the city and detonated their explosives at a crowded mini-commercial area.
Muhammed Abubakar, a vigilante operative who lives in Suleimanti area of Maiduguri, said the bombers detonated their explosives near FOMWAN Primary School located between Suleimanti and Jiddari Polo.
He said, “There were two explosions, one coming immediately after the other. Those who saw them said there were two women who began to scream as the bombs were about to go off”.
A spokesman of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Abbas Gava, had earlier said that the gunmen were making an attempt to invade Maiduguri but were intercepted at Aladuwari village where they exchanged fire with soldiers.
Another female suicide bomber killed family of 15 in Maiduguri
In a related development, three wives of a Village Head and their 10 children were Sunday feared killed as a female suicide bomber attacked their residence in Maiduguri, witnesses said.
The woman, who took advantage of the chaotic situation when soldiers were busy engaging Boko Haram fighters in a shoot-out during a repelled attack on the city, pretended as if Boko Haram was chasing her and ran into the compound of a Village Head, Bulama Isa.
A resident who witnessed the event, Ahmed Baba, said, “She ran into Bulama Isa’s compound, shouting ‘Boko Haram! Boko Haram!”
“When the families of Isa came out of their rooms to meet the woman in the centre of their compound, the woman simply detonated the bomb hidden under her garment, killing the village head’s three wives and 10 children.”
Bulama Isa did not arrive at his residence at the time of the attack, but again survived another suicide attack at the entrance of his home.
Sources said a back-up female suicide bomber, who was lurking in the dark as the grief struck the head of the family, walked into his compound, jumped out and detonated the bomb hidden on her.
But the village head, Bulama Isa was lucky again. He was able to escape with minor injury, but the blast succeeded in killing a woman with her baby.
-Leadership
