At least five persons were killed while 46 others sustained various degrees of injury when Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was triggered at popular Muna Garage in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency in North-East, Mr. Abdulkadir Ibrahim confirmed that the suicide bombing was triggered by two suicide bombers on Saturday’s evening.
“The suspected suicide bombers had detonated their explosives within 5 minutes interval at Muna Dalti settlement as a result, three persons died and the two bombers while others innocent people sustained various degrees of injury.”
Also speaking on the development, the Director Rescue Operation of State Emergency Agency (SEMA), Usman Kachala, said the incident occurred at about 8pm.
Kachala said the corpses had been evacuated while 45 others injured in the suicide bomb attack are currently receiving treatment in Maiduguri at General Hospital Maiduguri.
Kachala said: “The two female suicide bombers detonated Improvised Explosives Device (IEDs) vests strapped to their bodies in a crowded place at Muna-Dalti area of Maiduguri on Saturday night. Two of the deceased actually died while on admission in the hospital.”
In another development, the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has neutralized some Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) Terrorists at Tumbun ‘Alpha’, a small settlement about 4km West of Tumbun Allura, on the fringes of Lake Chad in the Northern part of Borno State.
The air strikes were conducted on 5 April 2019, on the heels of credible intelligence reports indicating that some ISWAP leaders and members had assembled for a meeting under a group of trees near a prominent makeshift structure within the settlement.
A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) platform dispatched for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) confirmed the presence of several ISWAP fighters within the vicinity of the target.
Accordingly, the ATF scrambled a NAF Alpha Jet to attack the location. The bombs from the aircraft recorded hits on the target area resulting in significant damage to surrounding structures with a large fire observed and several of the terrorists neutralized. The attached video clip, which is now declassified, shows some parts of the attack.
The NAF, operating in concert with surface forces, will sustain its operations against the terrorists in the Northeast.
Also the Air Task Force (ATF) for Operation DIRAN MIKIYA successfully destroyed an armed bandits’ logistics base at Ajia and neutralized dozens of armed bandits at Ajia and Wonaka in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara State. The operation was executed on 4 April 2019 sequel to Human Intelligence (HUMINT) reports indicating that the armed bandits were using a compound within Ajia as a logistics store to support their operations.
Consequently, the ATF dispatched a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha Jet, supported by an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform, to attack the compound scoring accurate strikes on the target and causing it to erupt into flames, which engulfed the structures and resulted in the neutralization of some of the bandits.
Few survivors, seen fleeing the vicinity of the target area, were taken out in follow-on attacks while others, who managed to escape the area, were tracked to Wonaka and equally neutralized. Independent HUMINT sources subsequently confirmed that more than 25 armed bandits were neutralized in the attacks on the 2 locations.
The NAF, working in close coordination with sister Services and other security agencies, will sustain its operations to neutralize the armed bandits and deny them freedom of action in the Northwest.
