Attempts by some youth vigilante to recover some explosive devices at Monguno, a Borno town on Tuesday evening led to a deadly bomb explosion that killed no fewer than 13 people.
Some youth vigilante were said to have discovered explosive devices in a black polythene bag and attempted to evacuate it but the bomb exploded as it was being taken to a nearby military base.
One of the victims of the blast, who identified himself as Alhaji Abatcha at the Accident and Emergency Unit of Borno Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri, said they never expected the bomb to explode suddenly.
“Some men saw explosive devices in a polythene bag around Bulabulin at Monguno and decided to pick the bag.
“Some people followed them but the bomb exploded as they were going and killed many people. Many of us were also injured because we were near the area,” he said yesterday during Governor Kashim Shettima’s sympathy visit to the victims at the hospital.
Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Borno Hospital Management Board, Dr Salisu Kwaya Bura, while briefing the governor said 13 corpses were brought to the hospital from the Monguno blast.
“Unfortunately, we recorded 13 corpses brought in from the scene of the blast,” he disclosed. He said a total of 54 casualties were brought to the hospital, adding that most of the injured victims were children.
“From this number, 28 are on admission at the wards. A total of 13 people, who were injured have been treated and discharged while nine of those on admission have been taken to the theatre.
“Four have been referred to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
The CMD commended some humanitarian agencies, particularly the Red Cross Society and International Committee for Red Cross, for deploying their medical team to assist the hospital staff in the treatment of the victims of various blasts.
