The Nigerian Army has given assurance that it would apprehend those who were behind the Saturday twin bomb blasts which killed at least nine persons in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
Colonel Mustapha Anka, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations Department, who spoke today, Saturday in Maiduguri, said that the blast occurred at the Bakassi Internally Displaced Persons camp and the NNPC fuel station along Damboa Road.
“At about 7.05 a.m. this morning, there were twin simultaneous suicide bomb explosions at the entrance of Bakassi Internally Displaced Persons camp and NNPC Mega Filling Station, Damboa Road, Maiduguri.
“At the Bakassi IDPs camp, a suspected female suicide bomber ran into a group of men and women at the entrance while they were coming out of the camp, killing 5 men and injuring 11 women.
“The bodies of the dead men and the injured women have been evacuated. At the NNPC, a female suicide bomber followed a fuel tanker in Keke NAPEP tricycle with the sole aim of gaining entry to cause maximum damage and casualty but was prevented from gaining access to the station by another vehicle.”
According to Anka, the suicide bomber exploded killing the three occupants of the tricycle with no report of injuries.
He said that the Acting General Officer Commanding, Brigadier General Victor Ezugwu, had already visited the scene to get first class information.
“The Acting GOC 7 Division has already visited the place and appealed to the people to be calm as concerted efforts were on to ensure the safety of lives and property.
“Troops and security agencies have been mobilised and the injured have been evacuated while efforts are ongoing to comb the general area as well as entries and exits of Maiduguri.
“While we commiserate with the families of the late victims of this cruel act and wish those injured speedy recovery, we would like to assure the public that efforts are ongoing to track those behind the dastardly acts.
“However, it is equally important to reiterate the need for more vigilance and security consciousness among all. Citizens are enjoined to report any suspicious persons or movements to the security agencies.”
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency, in a statement, has also confirmed the killing of nine persons in the blasts.
NEMA spokesman, Sani Datti, confirmed too that nine persons were killed and 24 persons injured and evacuated to various hospitals from the explosion scenes in Maiduguri.
In a statement in Abuja, Datti said that one of the explosions occurred at the entrance to the Bakasi Internally Displaced Persons camp, while the second happened at the NNPC filling station along Damboa Road, Maiduguri.
He said that the injured persons had been evacuated from the scene of the incidents and admitted to various hospitals in Maiduguri.
“As at the time of this report, the NEMA rescue team had evacuated victims. More updates on the incidents and rescue details will come later,” the spokesman said.