A suicide bomber driving a tricycle has again detonated a bomb today in Biu town of Borno state. The suicide bomber who struck at around 3pm blew himself and occupants of the tricycle up along with bystanders.
It it yet uncertain how many lives were lost in the incidence, but many are feared dead.
The incident occurred around the same check point where a suicide bomber attacked last Wednesday.
A witness, who identified himself as Nasiru, said, “The suicide bomber had come off the Keke Napep and was heading towards the roadside when the bomb went off, killing those that were inside the Keke Napep and those
standing by the road side.
“Though the suicide bomber did not die immediately, he was later shot dead by angry members of Civillian-JTF.
Many have been injured and some have died including the suicide bomber.”
About two weeks ago, a suicide bomber blew herself up in a market in same Biu town in Nigeria’s northeast Borno state, killing at least six people.
A nurse at Biu General Hospital said six dead bodies were brought in, adding that three of them were “burnt beyond recognition”.
A further 17 people were wounded. Ahmadu Saleh, a witness said the bomber strolled into Biu Central
Market at about 3:30pm.
“She was wearing a hijab and nobody was suspicious of her intention until we heard a loud sound,” he said.
Also last week, twin suicide bombers riding Keke Napep and concealing an Improvised Explosive Devices on their
body with flowing gowns rammed into a military checkpoint along Miringa-Biu road killing 14 people including two
members of Civilian JTF, one of them a lady.
The attack also injured several others mostly hawkers and men of civilian JTF Senator Ali Ndume has said.
Sources also said the incident which took place about 1pm on Tuesday left no fewer than 14 people mostly hawkers of groundnuts and garden eggs among others dead.
A source added that two members of the civilian JTF including a female vigilante who were assisting the military operatives also lost their lives in the explosion.
Miringa is about 15 kilometres from the Damaturu- Buni Yadi- Biu road Buni Yadi and its environs have been under Boko Haram control since July last year while Biu is south of Maiduguri, Borno State capital.
This is the third attack on the plateau town in a spate of two weeks.
Meanwhile, Nigerian Chief of Army Staff has visited soldiers in the northeastern town of Baga, telling troops that the conflict against Boko Haram will soon be over.
Lieutenant General Kenneth Minimah flew by helicopter to the fishing hub on the shores of Lake Chad and spent about 30 minutes on the ground, an AFP correspondent accompanying him said.
“The war is almost ended. We will liberate Dikwa, Bama, Gwoza, Marte and other places in a few days’ time,” Minimah told troops on the brief visit.
The use of suicide bombers has become a common tactic of Boko Haram since last year as the group expanded territory and became stronger and more deadly.
But in the past three weeks it has begun to suffer a string of defeats in a military offensive by Nigeria and neighbours Cameroon, Niger and Chad, all of which have been destabilised by the Islamists. A spate of attacks on civilians by the militants in the past few days seem aimed at taking revenge.
Suicide bombers struck two bus stations in different parts of northern Nigeria on Tuesday, killing at least 26 people in attacks President Goodluck Jonathan blamed on Boko Haram, the Islamist militant group he said would soon be defeated.
Nigeria’s neighbours are stepping up attacks against Boko Haram, but with the result that they too are being targeted.
Two people aboard a horse-drawn cart were killed in Niger on Thursday when they ran over a mine thought to have been planted by the Islamist insurgents.
