Two suicide bombers, including a pregnant woman, have been shot dead by troops of the Nigerian Army after they were intercepted on Maiduguri-Damboa Road, Borno State.

It was learnt that the bombers, who were about 18 years old, were killed around a security post in Ummarari Village on Saturday, after they refused to stop for a search.

This was just as troops also rescued 211 civilians held captive by the Boko Haram terrorists at Murye and Mala Maja villages in Borno State.

The National Emergency Management Agency, North-East spokesman, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, said the corpses of the bombers had been evacuated by rescue workers.


He said, “Emergency workers from NEMA, in collaboration with other stakeholders, moved to the scene and evacuated the bodies, when we got an alert about the bombers.”

It was gathered that the two bombers at about 9pm attempted to enter Maiduguri through Ummarari, before they were sighted by the civilian joint task force and shot dead by troops.

The Improvised Explosive Device vests strapped on their bodies were reportedly removed by a police Explosive Ordinance Department team mobilised to the scene.

A civilian JTF member was, however, said to have been injured during the encounter and rushed to the hospital.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Sani Usman, confirmed the rescue of the 211 hostages.