Suicide bomber strikes at Nigerian market
The region has been pummeled by suicide bombings that have killed hundreds carried out by the Boko Haram Islamic extremists since Nigeria elected a new president who promised to root out the extremists.
Trader Bukar Shettima said the explosion lifted him off his feet and threw him to the ground. “Thank God I was not too close,” he said. “But I saw nauseating corpses and battered bodies of humans littering the ground.”
A police bomb expert said the bomber was a man, not a woman as had been originally described by witnesses. Both were in a tricycle taxi that exploded at a taxi rank outside Gamboru wholesale vegetable market.
He said he helped collect seven bodies.
Civilian self-defence fighter Kabiru Yaro said he carried away at least ten corpses.
A suicide bombing at the same market killed at least 20 last month.
It comes a day after the defense ministry appointed Major General Iliyasu Isah Abbah to command an 8,700-strong regional army to curb the Islamic uprising that has spilled across Nigeria’s borders. It has killed some 20,000 people in six years and driven two million from their homes.
Nigeria’s military announced its first major success in weeks on Thursday.
Soldiers rescued 71 Boko Haram captives, mostly girls and women, in battles that killed many militants and destroyed their camps in three villages near Maiduguri.
President Muhammadu Buhari this week visited neighboring Cameroon to bolster support for the 8,700-strong, four-nation army to curb the uprising that has spilled across borders. Deployment has been delayed by a lack of funds.
The six-year-old uprising has killed 20,000 people and driven nearly two million from their homes.
Trader Bukar Shettima said the explosion lifted him off his feet and threw him to the ground. “Thank God I was not too close,” he said. “But I saw nauseating corpses and battered bodies of humans littering the ground.”
A police bomb expert said the bomber was a man, not a woman as had been originally described by witnesses. Both were in a tricycle taxi that exploded at a taxi rank outside Gamboru wholesale vegetable market.
He said he helped collect seven bodies.
Civilian self-defence fighter Kabiru Yaro said he carried away at least ten corpses.
A suicide bombing at the same market killed at least 20 last month.
It comes a day after the defense ministry appointed Major General Iliyasu Isah Abbah to command an 8,700-strong regional army to curb the Islamic uprising that has spilled across Nigeria’s borders. It has killed some 20,000 people in six years and driven two million from their homes.
Nigeria’s military announced its first major success in weeks on Thursday.
Soldiers rescued 71 Boko Haram captives, mostly girls and women, in battles that killed many militants and destroyed their camps in three villages near Maiduguri.
President Muhammadu Buhari this week visited neighboring Cameroon to bolster support for the 8,700-strong, four-nation army to curb the uprising that has spilled across borders. Deployment has been delayed by a lack of funds.
The six-year-old uprising has killed 20,000 people and driven nearly two million from their homes.
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