In what would have been one of the most fearless attacks by Boko Haram insurgents meant to cause maximum damage, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported that eight suspected suicide bombers in a Volkswagen Golf laden with explosives, attacked the eastern area of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital between Thursday night and Friday morning.
Mr. Sani Datti, NEMA’s Head of Media and Public Relations, disclosed this in a statement in Maiduguri, yesterday, said the blasts killed two civilians and injured seven Civilian JTF members.
Other reports indicate that several Boko Haram terrorists, including civilians, were feared killed in a fierce crossfire between troops and the insurgents, who attempted to infiltrate the eastern area of Maiduguri metropolis around 11:30pm on Thursday, leading to the exchange of gunfire.
Datti said the insurgents burst into the metropolis through Mafa-Dikwa axis in an unmarked Golf Volkswagen vehicle, laden with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and the teenage female suicide bombers, before detonating the explosives at Muna Garage.
The statement read: “The driver of the vehicle attempted to overrun the security post where the security personnel were stationed, but few of the personnel sustained minor injuries, while the remaining bombers detonated their IEDs in some of the communities in Muna Dalti settlement.
“Seven Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) sustained minor injuries and were taken to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).
“Some of the suicide bombers found their way to a place where people gathered with their trucks loaded with goods for onward movement to Mafa, Dikwa and Ngala Councils.
“Over 14 loaded trucks were burnt by the suicide bombers, though no casualty was recorded. “The seven corpses of the suicide bombers were evacuated to the State Specialist Hospital by NEMA and Borno SEMA teams.”
Another source reported that a female suicide bomber, following the failed infiltration by the insurgents, however, sneaked into a convoy of vehicles waiting for military escort to Gambouru Ngala in the morning of yesterday and detonated the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) strapped to her body, blowing herself up in the process.
“This was followed by a sporadic exchange of gunfire and sound of explosions around Muna Garage general area of the metropolis,” Yakubu Isa of Civilian JTF said at the scene.
Isa said six members of Civilian JTF sustained injuries while attempting to repel the attacks in the Mafa-Maiduguri axis.
Yesterday’s incident came barely 48 hours after some group of terrorists attacked an Air Force helicopter conveying a medical team to Gwoza.