In
what appears like the upping the ante of attacks, the Boko Haram insurgents on
Monday launched multiple and nearly simultaneous attacks on the capitals of
Borno and Yobe States, Maiduguri and Damaturu respectively, with co-ordinated bomb
explosions in Maiduguri, Borno State capital and gun attacks in Damaturu, Yobe
State capital leaving behind trails of spluttered blood and mangled
flesh.
More
than 100 persons were feared dead in the attacks as several places, including
police formations, were burnt. Damaturu is 135 km west of Maiduguri.
The
two bombs went off at mid-morning in the same place where another two
explosions had killed 35 people last week in an attack carried out by female
suicide bombers.
In
Damaturu, residents in the Gujba Road area of the city were jolted out of bed
by the sound of gunshots and explosions at about 4:45 am as many fled.
Umar
Sada who lives in Gujba road of Damaturu said, "I was woken by huge blasts
and the sound of heavy gunfire around the Mobile Police barracks. The gunmen
came in numbers. They burnt down the Police barracks. They are now advancing
towards two housing estates. We have left our home. We are now in the bush. We
don't know what's going to happen."
Another
local resident, a government official who spoke anonymously said, "It's
chaos all over the town. All I can hear are explosions and gunfire from my
house. I couldn't go out for morning prayers because this started before dawn
and I'm afraid to leave in case I get caught up in it."
But
the Yobe State Police Commissioner, Marcus Danladi, said they were dealing with
a "serious situation". Vigilantes in the city claimed that more than
40 Boko Haram fighters were killed.
A
staff of the Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu said the fighting was still raging
by mid-morning and some shells had landed in the school compound.
Other
residents said fighting was taking place near detention facilities where Boko
Haram suspects were being held near the state governor's residence, and the
jets were bombarding the militants.
The
fresh attacks in Damaturu were targeted at Police and military formations as
well as selected houses, a situation that sources said left many people dead.
Maiduguri
Attack
In
Maiduguri, reminiscent of last week’s attacks where two female suicide bombers
detonated explosives strewn around them at the Monday Market in Maiduguri
leading to the death of 35 persons, another two female suicide bombers again
yesterday attacked the same market in the town.
The
attack claimed the lives of six persons including the two female
suicide bombers who detonated the explosive devices few minutes apart.
According
to eye witnesses and security sources, the first explosion occurred around
11:20am at one of the entrances of the market when a female suicide bomber who
refused to submit herself to security check detonated the explosives strapped
on her body.
In
the explosion, three persons and the suicide bomber died on the spot.
An
eyewitness said, “She refused to submit herself to members of the civilian JTF
who were conducting checks at the market and therefore detonated the explosives
on her."
It
was gathered that the member of the youth vigilante group, who had asked to
check the suicide bomber was annoyed when she refused to submit herself to the
check.
Another
witness said, "He (the youth vigilante) pushed her aside telling her to
leave his front if she was not ready to be checked and it was at this time the
bomb on her exploded tearing her into pieces and cutting off the arm of the
Civilian JTF."
Just
as this was happening, a security source revealed that the second female
suicide bomber ran into a shop and was being dragged out by the shop owner and
in the process the bomb on her exploded, killing her and the shop owner.
The
incident caused panic in the metropolis as parents went to schools to pick
their children and shop owners hurriedly closed their shops for business.
It
will be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan has asked the National
Assembly to extend the state of emergency, which expired on Nov. 20, but no
decision has yet been reached.
Last Updated: 2nd December 2014
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