Death toll over 30 in Gombe bomb blasts – Red Cross

A Red Cross official has confirmed that more than 30 people were killed in the two blasts at a market in Gombe, Gombe state today.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the blasts but they bear the hallmarks of attacks by Boko Haram.

The militant Islamists have killed thousands in a six-year insurgency in the country’s northeast. In the last two months, they have killed close to 900 people.

“I have 30 bodies in bags and I am sure there are more out there,” said the Red Cross official, who was involved in the evacuation and wanted to remain anonymous.

Confirming the blasts at the State Specialist Hospital, Gombe state Commissioner of Police, Kudu Nma Abdullahi said it was a twin bomb blast that occurred around 5:20 pm at Gombe main market

“We got information of a twin blast. Ostensibly that means there is a bomb blast. Either it was a suicide mission or an I.E.D.  (Improvised explosive device) kept somewhere at the main market where they sell slippers and wears.

“I think people were busy doing their shopping, preparatory to tomorrow’s Sallah festival”.

He said the place had been cordoned off to avoid hoodlums capitalising on the situation to loot people’s shops.

He said no arrest had been made but that the situation was relatively under control

He called on residence to continue to maintain vigilance, reiterating the need for people to continually remain suspicious of the movement of people they do not know.

“Anything they suspect, they should quickly raise an alarm or inform the security agents so that we can come in immediately”.

President Muhammadu Buhari has made crushing the insurgents his top priority, but hundreds have been killed in bombings and shootings since he was inaugurated on May 29.