5 killed in suicide bomb attack in Borno

By:  TIMOTHY OLA, Maiduguri
Date:  Sat, 07/14/2012 - 21:54


The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Garbai El-kanemi and the state’s Deputy Governor, Alhaji Zannah Umar, escaped death by the whiskers yesterday, as a bomb, went off near the Maiduguri Central Mosque, in front of the Shehu of Borno’s palace. No fewer than five people were killed in the explosion.


Speaking on the bomb blast, the deputy governor said: “It was God that saved me and the Shehu of Borno. When we came out of the mosque after the Friday prayers, as soon as we stepped out of the mosque, a suicide bomber came in-between me and the Shehu of Borno convoy and the thing was detonated. But Al-hamdullah (thank God), the two of us survived the attacks.” 


The deputy governor hinted that the explosion pull off and threw away his right leg shoe, while his dress was stained with blood.  “I thought I had lost my right leg,” he said, adding that he was whisked out of the danger area by his security aides.


Speaking further on the incident, he said: “We thought we are getting better days, but what happened today (Friday) honestly, one cannot predict. What else can we do? It’s to either negotiate or we do otherwise. It is terrible! Al-hamdullah, myself and the Royal Highness, the Shehu survived this attacks. It was God that saved us from the suicide.”

A suicide bomber believed to be about 15-year-old had attempted to hit the Central Mosque at about 2pm yesterday, but the explosive devices went off while military troops prevented him from gaining entrance into the area.


Meanwhile, the Joint Task Force (JTF) spokesman, Lt. Col Sagir Musa, said five people were dead. He disclosed that  a suicide bomber, who was “strapped with explosives, detonated the bombs very close to the Shehu of Borno,  the Deputy governor  and their entourage immediately after Juma’at Congregational prayer,” adding, “the JTF troops attached to the Shehu’s palace prevented the bomber from getting  to the Shehu and the deputy governor. Five people, including the bomber, died while four civilians were wounded as a result of the unfortunate incident.” He also disclosed that two soldiers that pushed and stopped the bomber from closing in on the  Shehu were critically injured. 


“The area has been cordoned off and swept by the bomb disposal arm of the task force. Both the Shehu’s palace and Mosque were cordoned off to prevent further attacks and bombings in the metropolis,” he added.

The JTF had mounted heavy surveillance around the Shehu palace for about two months now. The Central Mosque is located in front of the mosque, even as the construction on the mosque has been on going. Nine construction  in the mosque were last month slaughtered by attackers.