A teenage suicide bomber killed 11 people on Wednesday in an attack on a mosque in northeast Nigeria, the epicentre of the conflict with Islamist insurgency Boko Haram, two military officials, a resident and an aid worker said.
The initial count confirmed five dead victims.
The bomber hit the mosque in the town of Gamboru in Borno state, near Nigeria’s border with Cameroon, during dawn prayers, said Ali Mustapha, an aid worker, and Lawan Abba, a resident, Reuters reports.
The attack bears the hallmarks of Boko Haram, a jihadist group which frequently uses suicide bombers, often women and girls, to attack crowded public spaces such as mosques and markets.
The incident occurred on Wednesday at 5: 00 am when the a teenage male bomber who had disowned his father detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the Mosque.
Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole of the Nigeria Army, confirmed the attack.
He added that the troops had also neutralized a suicide bomber at Rann, headquarters of Kala-Balge local government area.
“Yes, but only 5 killed and another suicide bomber neutralized in Rann”.
However, Mr. Lawan Abba, a resident of Gamboru, said six others sustained injuries in the attack.
Abba disclosed that the suicide bomber sneaked into a crowded mosque while people gathered to observe Morning Prayer and detonated the explosive.
He revealed that the teenage suicide bomber hailed from Gamboru town, adding that the father of the assailant was among the 10 persons, who lost their lives in the attack.
“The suicide bomber disowned his parents and joined the insurgents in the bush.
“He entered the mosque blew up himself into pieces and killed 10 persons including his biological father,” he said.
Abba added that the wounded persons were referred to the clinic in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in the area for treatment.
No fewer than four persons were killed in a suicide bomb attack on Thursday at Amarwa community of Konduga Local Government Area of Borno.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the incident occurred at about 2 p.m. when a male suicide bomber infiltrated the village and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) strapped to his body.
An eye witness, Bukar Fantai, told NAN that the bomber managed to sneak into the village disguising as a grain merchant.
Fantai said that the insurgent first approached a shop keeper and offered sorghum for sale.
He said the terrorist, thereafter, went to a shade where many villagers gathered for relaxation and detonated the explosive.
“The suicide bomber detonated the IED, blew up himself, killing three other persons, while 13 others sustained injuries in the explosion,” he said.
A competent security source confirmed the attack to NAN, saying that the wounded persons were referred to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) for treatment.
The source said that Police EOD and patrol teams had been deployed to sanitise the scene of the attack, adding that normalcy had been restored to the area.
Police and military authorities have yet to comment on the incident.
