Many lives were spared on Sunday as a female suicide bomber was shot dead seconds before a bomb she allegedly concealed in her bag exploded.
The attempted suicide bombing occurred outside the gates of the Nigeria Army barracks, Maimalari in Maiduguri, Borno State.
According to an eyewitness, who is also a civilian volunteer in the war against Boko Haram insurgency, Babakura Kolo, “Soldiers at Maimalari army barracks this morning (Sunday) foiled a suicide attack by a female bomber.”
The lady reportedly approached the gates of the barracks around 7.00am and was told to subject herself for security checks but refused.
She continued to walk towards the gate without heeding shouts from several soldiers to stop at the security checkpoint to clear herself.
“She continued walking with her handbag slung on her shoulder, despite repeated shouts from the soldiers asking her stop.
“One of the soldiers opened fire on the woman and the handbag exploded, blowing the woman to pieces,” Kolo stated.
There was no other casualty recorded as the bomb detonated before the alleged suicide bomber got to her target, which appeared to be inside the barracks.
Military sources described the incident as an “attempted suicide attack by Boko Haram terrorists.”