A twin suicide bombers suspected to be members of dreaded boko haram who sneaked into Baga fish market in Maiduguri and its environs wrecked havoc with detonated Improvised explosive Devices (IEDs) living dozens dead and injured.
But the Police Commissioner, Mr. Aderemi Opadokun insisted that only 12 people were killed in the multiple explosions suspected to be female suicide bombers.
The incident according to sources took place “at about 3:40pm on Monday when Muslim faithful in the market were observing their Ishai prayers when the first explosion went off at the centre of the market killing 35 people with over 50 seriously injured”.
Another source revealed that “immediately after the first blast, another female suicide bomber killed herself when the IEDs wrapped in her body accidentally went off before reaching her crowded target at a mosque close to the market”.
Baga market is a stone throw to the 7 Division, Nigerian Army and now the Military Command and Control Centre. The Market which initially was an international fish market had witnessed series of bombings and killings in recent past, however customers still patronizes the market for smoked bush meat and fish coming all the way from Lake Chad Basin.
Eye witnesses, Mallam Abubakar Aji Ali said, the explosion left dozens of people including some Muslims who were performing their 3:30pm prayers dead with others seriously injured.
” Immediately after the blast, I saw two trucks field with corpses coming out from the Baga main gate with scores pooled in their blood” . A nieboughring federal low cost estate resident who did not want his name mentioned told our Correspondent on phone.
Mallam Usman Ibrahim, one of the fish sellers at the market told our Correspondent that many dead and scattered bodies of victims as well as the injured were immediately rushed to various hospitals as traders and customers scampered for safety as shops remained closed.
Confirming the incident, the Police Commissioner, Mr. Opadokun in a text message to our Correspondent reads as follows; ” Yes, today, Monday 22/06/2015 at about 1500 hours, there was a twin IED explosion in Maiduguri.
” One at the centre of Baga road fish market, while the other at BIYOK still along Baga road, about 1 kilometre to the affected market. IEDs were conveyed by two female suicide bombers.
” 12 people died including the bombers and many were seriously injured. Scene visited and victims were conveyed to the hospital. Investigation in progress please”. CP Opadokun stated. Vanguard
