The Nigerian Police has confirmed the killing of three persons in two separate suicide bomb attacks in Maiduguri (north-east Nigeria), which occurred Wednesday morning.
Confirming the incident, Spokesperson of the Bornu State Police Command, Victor Isuku, said more information would be provided at a press briefing by the State’s Commissioner of Police, Damian Chukwu.
But a Civilian -JTF (Joint Task Force) Officer, Danbatta Bello, told journalists that the incident happened at midnight when a male suicide bomber was shot dead from an observatory by a military sniper leading to the explosion of the bomb he was carrying .
According to him, “We heard the first explosion about some few minutes after midnight but soldiers were able to stop him from carrying out his attack when they shot him near the security check post in Usmanti.
“His bombs went off not quite 50 meters away from the sandbags at the check post as soon as the soldier sitting on top of a security observation post shot at him,” Mr. Bello said.
He added that, at about 5.30 a.m. another blast was heard as another suicide bomber, a teenage girl, blew herself up after members of the Civilian-JTF, stopped her from advancing towards a mosque; noting that, the female suicide bomber died alongside one member of the Civilian-JTF that tried to stop her. Two others were injured by the explosion, he added.
Maiduguri and environs is witnessing the gradual return of suicide bombing since the reduction of Boko Haram activities in Sambisa forest – several people have been killed in the act in Maiduguri, strong base of the group.
Nigerian military said it has defeated the Islamic jihadist group in Sambisa with the help of the Civilian-JTF.