Bloody Tuesday, as bomb blasts hit Kaduna, Borno, Osun stat

A suicide bomber, suspected to be a member of the terrorist Islamic sect, Boko Haram, early on Tuesday detonated an Impoverished Explosive Device at the popular Maiduguri Monday Market, killing no fewer than 17 persons.

Sixty-nine persons were reportedly injured in the attack.


Also in Ile-Ife, Osun State, a low-calibre bomb went off in the Onipetu area of the town around 4.00am but nobody was killed.

The Osun State police said they deactivated another bomb before it detonated.

“They were grenades of low calibre. The first one exploded and the other was defused. It happened in an isolated place, so it did not kill nor injure anybody. We have visited the scene and we are investigating the matter,” Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Mr. Ibrahim Maishanu, told newsmen.

Also in Kaduna, an explosion occurred around the Asikolaye/Bakin Ruwa area, along the Kaduna western bypass, late on Tuesday.

The casualty figure was not available as of the time of this report, witnesses however said many were killed and several injured.

The explosion reportedly shattered the glass windows of some of the surrounding buildings.

The Information Officer, National Emergency Management Agency in Kaduna State, Halima Suleiman, confirmed the explosion to one of our correspondents on the telephone around 9.45pm.

The Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State, Umar Shehu, confirmed the incident but said that the blast caused no death. He said only two people were injured.

Suleiman explained that the bomb was planted near a makeshift shop where provisions were sold but that it was unlikely that the casualty figure would be high since many people had gone for prayers at a nearby mosque

She said, “We don’t have any casualty figure at the moment but rescue operations are still on. Our officials on the ground said there were pieces of shattered windows. We learnt that a bomb was placed near a container shop that sells provisions.

“We were told it occurred when most people had gone to pray. I will inform you of any development later.”

The attack on the market in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, occurred at about 8.30am and was said to have affected mostly petty traders and members of the youth vigilante group, popularly called Civilian JTF, in the area.

Nine members of the vigilance group were said to have died in the attack.