Thirty persons were killed when two female suicide bombers attacked an Internally Displaced Persons camp in Borno State on Tuesday, the Chairman of Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Ahmed Satomi, has said.
Satomi said 78 persons were injured in the attack, which occurred at the camp in Dikwa at about 6.30am on Tuesday.
But AP quoting some unnamed officials said that at least 56 people were killed in the attack.
Dikwa is about 90 kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno state capital and was recently reclaimed from Boko Haram fighters by Nigerian soldiers. Over 70,000 displaced persons are being housed in IDP camps in the town.
He said the two female bombers stormed the IDPs camp in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State at about 6.30 am on Tuesday, blew up themselves in the midst of the crowd of displaced persons, killing over 30 persons and injuring 78 others in the process.
Satomi, who spoke to one of our correspondents on the telephone, said, “As I am speaking to you now, I am at the Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri where those injured in the suicide bomb attack carried out by two female bombers were brought for treatment.
“It was really sad the injured were brought in today (Wednesday) because of the distance between Dikwa and Maiduguri.”
He said those killed were buried on Tuesday. Satomi added that the military had beefed up security around the town.
Meanwhile, troops of the Nigerian Army have killed an unspecified number of insurgents in an early morning ambush at a major cattle market in Gwai Mainari area of Borno State.
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said that the troops of the 212 Tank Battalion, 29 Task Force Brigade were on a mission to flush out Boko Haram remnants from the North-East when they saw the insurgents.
Usman said that the troops, who were supported by the operatives of the quick response group in the offensive, killed some of the insurgents. But he was silent on the number of the terrorists killed.
He added that some of the terrorists escaped with gunshot wounds.
According to him, the troops also captured one Hilux vehicle containing some gallons of fuel, arms and ammunition from the insurgents.
The statement partly read, “In continuation of their clearance operations of remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East, troops of 212 Tank Battalion, 29 Task Force Brigade, early this morning ambushed some Boko Haram elements at a major cattle market in Gwai Mainari around Mainok general area.
“The ambush party supported by a quick response group captured a Hilux vehicle containing eight jerry cans of petroleum, oil and lubricants, large quantity of 7.62mm ammunition, 127mm ammunition and four AK-47 rifles, as well as five hand grenades.
“Some of the terrorists were killed while others escaped with gunshot wounds. It is important to note that more operational strategies are being employed to further flush out the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists wherever they might be hiding in the North-East.”
