member of the Islamist militant sect, Boko Haram, carried out the attack which eye witnesses said left no fewer than 30 people dead and about 50 others injured. The attack which occurred at about seven hours after eight people died in an accident on the Osara-Okene Express Road, Kogi State, sparked protests by youths, who alleged that it was traceable to politicians.The angry youths damaged former governor Ali Modu Sheriff's office on Kashim Imam Way before they left for the Government Reservation Area where they also torched a building belonging to him. It was gathered that the former governor, who was still in the state as of the time the explosion occurred, was hurriedly driven to the Maiduguri Airport en route for Abuja. He was said to have been escorted by a well armed police team. Soldiers fired shots into the air to disperse the youths before cordoning off the roads around the blast site and the GRA. Investigation, however, revealed that
Improvised Explosive Devices were wired to
a vehicle and detonated at the
roundabout which also leads to the Monday
Market, the busiest market in the
troubled city.
There were however conflicting reports on
how the lone suicide bomber arrived and
detonated IEDs close to a roadblock
mounted by the military near the
roundabout.
While the spokesman for the 7 Division of
the Nigerian Army Maiduguri, Col.
Mohammed Dole, said the bomber drove a
Honda car, Reuters said he arrived at the
area in a tricycle laden with IEDs.
Dole, who blamed the attack on Boko
Haram, said, "At about 14:13 hours on
Tuesday, January 14, a Honda car laden
with IEDs exploded near the Post Office
area in Maiduguri metropolis. Members of
the frustrated Boko Haram terrorists are
suspected to be behind the bomb explosion.
"Many deaths and injuries were recorded
and 10 vehicles and five tricycles are
confirmed damaged and one suspect is
arrested. This incident happened after a
long period of relative peace in Maiduguri
and environs."
But the state Police Commissioner, Lawan
Tanko, told Reuters that his men counted
17 bodies as of 2pm on Tuesday.
"My men counted 17 dead persons as of
2pm and they are still counting. I
instructed my men to go to the University
of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and the
Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri to verify
if there are others," Tanko added.
Tanko confirmed that the explosion was
caused by a suicide bomber who drove a
firewood seller truck and detonated a
bomb in the middle of the road.
Tanko, who claimed that only five people
were injured, added that security
operatives were immediately sent to
public buildings to prevent attacks on
them by the rampaging youths.
A journalist working at the state
television office, Abba Kankami, also told
the British news agency that he counted
29 dead bodies.
"The attack happened just behind the fence
of my office. I counted 29 bodies, including
two kids and a mother. Lots of others
seriously injured," he said.
However, health workers claimed that 30
bodies were deposited at different hospital
mortuaries in the city. They added that
50 injured persons were also brought in.
Another eyewitness, Aisha Hassan, said
she saw two boys whose bodies were cut
into pieces.
Hassan, who added that two cars
immediately caught fire when the
explosion happened, said, "I ran away
because there was too much blood."
A source told one of our correspondents
that operatives who rushed to the scene
of the blast which occurred at about
1.30pm, evacuated the injured and the
dead to the hospitals.
When contacted, the Director of Defence
Information, Maj.-Gen Chris Olukolade,
also confirmed that security operatives
had arrested a suspected insurgent in
relation to the explosion.
He said the suspect was already assisting a
team investigating the incident.
The state Governor, Kashim Shettima,
condemned the blast, saying it was
regrettable it happened at a time people
were enjoying the return of peace to
Maiduguri.
In a statement by his spokesman, Isa
Gusau, Shettima expressed condolences
to the families of those who lost their
lives.
The statement reads in part, "He (governor)
has directed the security to carry out a
full scale investigation into the bomb
explosion which resulted in the
unfortunate youths' rampage that led to
the breakdown of law and order.
"The governor also condemned the uprisings
in the last three days in the state capital
which he described as unfortunate even
though avoidable."
He also said that the governor had
directed the Ministry of Health to ensure
that all the injured received proper
medical attention.
The statement added that the governor
had met with the National Security
Adviser in Abuja on issues of security
of lives and property in Borno State.
The governor appealed to all the
residents of the state to remain law
abiding and reminded them that peace
was a collective duty of all.
In Kogi State, an accident involving a
Toyota Hiace bus, a trailer and a truck
claimed the lives of eight people on the
Osara-Okene Express Road at about
6.30am on Tuesday.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Kogi
State Command, Mr. Redengha Tampa,
said the trailer collided with the truck
and the bus.
All the dead were said to be the bus
passengers. Two other occupants of the
bus, who sustained injuries, were rushed
to Abobo Clinic, Itakpe, for treatment.
The corpses were taken to the mortuary of
the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja.
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