Civilian JTF, Army foil suicide attack in Borno

Another suicide attack was on Saturday foiled by men of the civilian JTF and Troops on 7 Division Nigeria Army at Ummarati Village near on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Soldiers dragging the suspect away

Ummarari community has been recently hit by suicide attack with the last one on a mosque more claiming more than ten worshipers were killed.

In a statement signed by the army spokesman Col. Sani Usman, the suicide bomber blew himself off while he was being prevented by some vigilant troops from wrecking havoc on the community.

The statement read; “Troops of 7 Division Garrison Forward Operation Base (FOB), today averted yet another suicide bombing catastrophe on Ummarari community by suspected Boko Haram terrorist at about 7.00am this morning.

“The suicide bomber was intercepted by the vigilant troops and the Civilian JTF while making attempt to enter the village to detonate his dangerous cargo on innocent persons in the Ummarari.

“The suicide bomber detonated the strapped Improvised Explosive Device (IED) vest on his body, thus killing himself instantly when he was forced to halt based on suspicion that he was carrying suicide bombing material.

“Thankfully, there was no any other casualty other than the suspected suicide bomber. Troops along with the Civilian JTF at the village are now combing the surrounding area to forestall further attacks and clear the environment of likely remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hibernating.”

Civilian JTF, Army foil suicide attack in Borno

Boko Haram controls half of Borno, says Senator Garbai

The Senator representing Borno Central, Baba Kaka Garbai has said that the story that the insurgents have been degraded is nothing but a lie as the terror group still hold on strong to about 50 percent of troubled Borno State.

Abubakar Shekau

Garbai who spoke to journalists on Saturday evening during a condolence visit to Dalori village where 65 persons were reported killed last week by the insurgents said, the truth about the accomplishment of the military in Borno State was never truly spoken as the Boko Haram and the Nigerian nation are presently administering about the same territories in the state.

He said both the military and Boko Haram have full control of three separate local governments in troubled Borno State and share control in all the 21 other local governments.

Garbai, who was in Dalori with financial and material assistance to the people of the village, said: “I feel highly demoralized, devastated in the sense that this is the village we came during the election and they were going about their normal business. The activities that were ongoing was like confidence building.

“They actually got the signal a few days before the attack that the insurgents were likely to attack them, they reported to the constituted authorities but nothing was done.

I will like to appeal to the military to intensify their effort in ensuring they beef up security around the villages and communities that share borders with Maiduguri metropolis. It is very important and more so that this place is porous, there could be attack from any direction.”

He said it was a lie and misconception that the insurgents have largely be overpowered by the military, insisting that: “It is a wrong assumption that most of the local governments in Borno are recaptured from the Boko Haram. In reality this is not true in the sense that apart from Maiduguri Metropolis, Bayo and Kwaya Kusar, these are the three local government that are under the occupation of the Nigerian government where the military and police are maintaining law and order.

“Mobbar, Abadam and Kala Balge are 100 percent occupied by the insurgents. There are some local governments that are partially occupied by the insurgents especially as the local government secretariats have been liberated but their hither-lands are still controlled by the insurgents.”

Garbai gave an instance of Konduga which was liberated but still has many communities in the local government area under the insurgents.

He also said “though Gwoza town has been liberated there still remain six wards in Gwoza local government area still occupied by the insurgents.”

He said: “From my count, only three local government are fully liberated, 21 local governments partially occupied by insurgents, that is there is still some level of Boko Haram occupation side by side the military or any other constituted authority. The local government fully occupied by Boko Haram are Abadam, Mobbar and Kala Balge.’

He advised that: “We should not live under the illusion that Boko Haram are decimated or weaken, these are not reality and neither a true reflection of the reality. The reality is that most of the local government in Borno is partially occupied by Boko Haram.”

On the proposed reconstruction, rehabilitation and relocation in the troubled areas, Garbai said it was inadvisable at least for now.

He said: “If the people are moved back to their homelands you are making them vulnerable to attack. Unless you provide maximum security and return of law and order in these areas, relocating these people would be endangering their lives.”

The Senate Leader, Mohammed Ndume, representing Borno South in the Senate however believed that much had been achieved by the military in retrieving captured Borno communities from the insurgents.

He also said it was not out of place to begin the reconstruction, rehabilitation and relocation of the destroyed communities.

He told journalists in Maiduguri on Sunday that: “I still have confidence in our military, I still want to believe that our military are on top of the situation. What is happening these days is the issue of intermittent suicide bombing and desperate attacks by the insurgents because their supply routes have been cut off and they attack in other to get supplies. They have been carting away foodstuffs of attacked communities.”

He said that the reconstruction and relocation should still continue in spite of recent attacks. He however admitted that if not immediately, at least the preparation should not be set aside.

The Senate Leader while arguing that the insurgency is winding out, said the recent setbacks are not limited to Nigeria alone, insisting that United States and recently France have come under isolated terrorist attacks.

He noted that the people of Borno displaced by insurgency are willing to go back to their homelands. He particularly mentioned that the people of Gwoza, his homelands are ready to return home, insisting that arrangements have already been concluded for this.

Boko Haram controls half of Borno, says Senator Garbai

Scores killed as military battles insurgents in Maiduguri

Several people have been reportedly killed as the military engaged militants suspected to be members of Boko Haram sect in a fierce gun battle that reportedly lasted for hours on Saturday.

Mercenaries to fight Boko Haram

The insurgents were said to have attacked Dalori and Walori villages, on outskirts of Maiduguri, at around some minutes past 7pm on Saturday night.

Dalori village is a few kilometres away from an Internally Displaced Persons camp, which is said to be the most populous IDP camp in the country.

Sources said Boko Haram insurgents usually mounted surprise attacks at that hour of the day, as they had studied the movement of the military.

Residents, including students of the University of Maiduguri, were said to have scampered for safety while the gunfire lasted and explosion rocked the area.

Sources in Maiduguri told our correspondent that fighting was still on going at the time of this report at 10pm. “The fighting started at around 7.30pm but we don’t know how many people have been killed or injured,” the source said.

Another source said, ‘No it is not Dalori camp, there is a village behind the camp called Dalori gari; that is the one which is being attacked by Boko Haram. They have killed many and razed the village.”

The recent attack in Maiduguri comes a day after at least 15 persons were killed, and many others injured, in a twin bomb blast that rocked the Gombi Grain Market in Adamawa State last Friday.

Also, last Wednesday, twin bomb blasts had rocked the Chibok community in Borno State, killing 11 persons and injuring 35 others.

The bomb blasts reportedly went off at a military checkpoint and a market simultaneously, shattering the fragile security situation in the town where about 219 school girls were abducted by the Boko Haram sect in 2014. The girls have yet to be rescued.d

Scores killed as military battles insurgents in Maiduguri

Breaking: Bomb Explosion kill 20 in Maiduguri

A bomb has exploded at a mosque in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital killing at least 20 people on Monday.

Abubakar Shekau

According to Premium Times report, the bomb went off as people gathered peeping into the square due to speculation that a bomb was left behind by members of the Boko Haram sect.

Residents had speculated that a Boko Haram who was on the run left an improvised explosive device in the area during an attack on the city on Sudany.

According to a police officer report as quoted by PT, “I have never seen such foolishness when people would go peeping into a mosque to find out if truly there was an explosive deposited in a place. But sadly, the bomb went off and over 20 persons were killed and many injured.”

A primary school teacher in the area, Malam Suleiman gave a separate account of the incident. He said

 

 

“The people normally sit down around the mosque in the morning,” he said. ”The place is like a meeting point where neighbours converge to relax.”

“After the morning prayers they just sat down outside the mosque as usual and then the bomb went off. It was not suicide bombing like that of last night. It may have been planted.

Breaking: Bomb Explosion kill 20 in Maiduguri

Army arrests seven suspects with IEDs in Kaduna

Troops have arrested seven suspected Boko Haram bomb and Improvised Explosive making Devices (IEDs) specialists.

The terrorists were arrested in Kaduna after painstaking surveillance and proactive intelligence operations over a period of time.

A statement by army’s acting Director of Information Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, said: “From all indications, the suspects were in Kaduna to conduct suicide bombings, kill and maim innocent citizens in the state and other surrounding areas during the Christmas period.

“Recall that recently in Maiduguri some of them were arrested while trying to detonate IEDs carried in food containers in public places.

“The arrest of these suspects would no doubt assist in the fight against terrorism in the country, more so as the military have technically defeated the Boko Haram terrorists in the field, the terrorists have resorted to attacking soft targets through suicide bombings, IEDs and harassing attacks on isolated communities.

“Therefore, the public is please requested to continue to be more vigilant and security conscious by reporting suspicious persons and their movements to security agencies. This request has become necessary because the terrorists have resorted to mingling with the public across the country after sensing the futility of their encounter with troops in the northeast.

“They adopt other methods of perpetuating violence in the society.”

Army arrests seven suspects with IEDs in Kaduna

Four suspected suicide bombers die in explosion in Borno

Four suicide bombers on Sunday died few kilometres to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, in an unsuccessful operation, as their vehicle exploded prematurely, the information officer of the National Emergency Management Agency, Mallam AbdulKadir Ibrahim, told one of our correspondents.

Suicide Bomber, Boko Haram

Ibrahim, the information officer of the agency in Maiduguri, in a text message to one of our correspondents on Sunday stated that there was an “aborted suicide bomb attack at Njimtilo today (Sunday), October25, 2015.

“The four suicide bombers came in a car (golf) around some minutes past 1.20pm. The car presumably exploded before they reached their target.

“All the four suicide bombers on board died. No innocent soul was lost. No casualty recorded. Their remains had been deposited in the mortuary at Borno State Specialist Hospital.”

Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, has differed with the Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, over territories controlled by Boko Haram, saying that no single Nigerian territory is still under the control of the insurgents.

Shettima had said that two local governments in the state were still under the control of the insurgents.

The governor had, while receiving the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawan, who led a six-man committee inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari to pay condolence visits to Borno and Adamawa states after suicide attacks at their mosques last Friday, said, “They (Boko Haram) are presently controlling two local governments in Borno State; Abadam and Mobbar, and partially in Marte.”

But the Chief of Army Staff, who spoke with journalists shortly after addressing troops at the headquarters of 3 Division, Marxwel Khobe Cantonment in Jos late on Saturday, differed with the governor and insisted that the military had recovered all territories previously under the terrorists’ enclave.

He said that the sect had been routed from all their enclaves, saying that if it were not so, the sect would have been boasting and making claims.

Burutai said, “It is not true. No Boko Haram is holding any territory. Have you heard them (Boko Haram) making any claim of recent? We are more determined and we have more professional soldiers on the ground. We have been trained and equipped and ready to face the challenge posed by them.”

Four suspected suicide bombers die in explosion in Borno

Death toll in Maiduguri Mosque bombing rises to 28

At least 28 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria, on Friday, raising fresh security concerns after a wave of similar attacks.

Bomb Scene

The attack happened shortly after 5:00 am (0400 GMT) in the Jidari area of the Borno state capital, which has previously been targeted by Boko Haram militants.

Maiduguri has now been hit six times this month, killing a total of 76 people, according to an AFP tally, underscoring an increased risk to civilians after similar strikes in neighbouring states and near the capital, Abuja.

Umar Sani, a civilian vigilante assisting the military in the counter-insurgency, and local resident Musa Sheriff both told AFP there were two blasts at the mosque.

“People from various mosques nearby rushed to the scene to assist the victims,” said Sani.

“I was involved in the evacuation. We counted 28 dead bodies apart from the two bombers, who were identifiable by the mutilation of their bodies.

“Over 20 other people were injured.”

Sheriff, who said he escaped with his life as he was late for prayers, gave a similar account.

Both men also said two other people were arrested and handed over to the military for questioning after they were seen apparently celebrating following the blasts.

The two men were “standing from afar, hugging each other like a celebration, chanting “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest)”, said Sani.

“The rescuers apprehended them. They used ropes to tie them and they confirmed that two of their comrades carried out the attacks. They were unrepentant,” he added.

“To them it was a mission accomplished,” said Sheriff.

– Security concerns –

Initial reports of the attack from Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said only six people were killed and 17 others injured.

Medical sources at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and Borno State Specialist Hospital later gave a lower toll of 19 dead.

There are frequently conflicting death tolls in the insurgency and official statements often downplay the number of casualties.

Nigeria’s military has claimed a series of successes against Boko Haram, recapturing territory seized by the militants last year, as well as the mass surrender of fighters.

Senior officers have characterised the increase in suicide bombings against “soft” targets as a sign of the group’s desperation.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has said the military is on track to meet a year-end deadline to bring the six-year insurgency to an end.

At least 17,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million made homeless by the violence, which has spread into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

But the latest bombings in Maiduguri will likely raise questions about how militants are able to carry out such attacks on a regular basis.

Friday’s attack fits into a grim pattern of targeting places of worship and crowded spots such as markets and bus stations using multiple bombers to maximise casualties.

On October 1, a wave of suicide and bomb attacks left 10 dead in the Ajilari Cross area of the city, which was hit again on October 13, killing four.

On October 15, two suicide bombers hit a mosque in Molai, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, killing 30.

The following day, three bombers also struck just before morning prayers in nearby Umarari. Four people were killed.

Last weekend, soldiers foiled a suspected suicide attack at the city’s main army base.

Boko Haram — using the name Islamic State West Africa Province — claimed responsibility for suicide bomb attacks near Abuja on October 2 that killed 18.

Five men appeared in court on Thursday in connection with the blasts.

Death toll in Maiduguri Mosque bombing rises to 28

Female suicide bomber dies in botched attack on Army base

Maiduguri—Nigerian soldiers, yesterday, shot dead a suspected suicide bomber outside a Military base in Maiduguri, Borno State, a civilian vigilante and a military source told newsmen. The shooting detonated explosives concealed in her handbag.

The target was thought to be the Maimalari Army Barracks, the main military base in Maiduguri, which had been hit repeatedly in recent months by Boko Haram terrorists.

Babakura Kolo, from the civilian volunteer force assisting troops against the rebels, said: “Soldiers at Maimalari Army Barracks this morning (yesterday) foiled a suicide attack by a female bomber.

“The woman approached the barracks around 7a.m. and headed towards the gates.

“Guards at the gates asked her to stop for security checks, but she ignored them and continued walking towards the gates, a handbag slung over her shoulder.

“One of the soldiers opened fire on the woman and the handbag exploded, blowing the woman to pieces.”

There were no other casualties in the explosion, which one military officer in the city described as an “attempted suicide attack by Boko Haram terrorists.”

Boko Haram has intensified its use of multiple suicide bombers to inflict maximum casualties, with secondary explosions detonated as people rush to help victims of the initial blast.

No fewer than 34 people were killed in a wave of attacks last Thursday night and Friday morning on the outskirts of Maiduguri, while last month 117 died in explosions in the Ajilari Cross area of the Borno State capital.

Of the six suicide attacks this month, four have been in Maiduguri, killing about 48 and injuring 99.

The military source, who requested anonymity, said the use of human bombs was a sign of the group’s desperation and frustration.

“They are looking for every opportunity to hit back, which is why they have resorted to soft-target attacks on mosques and markets and such attacks on a military base is intended to show the terrorists are still strong,” the officer added.

Female suicide bomber dies in botched attack on Army base

Bomb Blasts Kill 18, Injure 37 In Borno

• COAS Tasks Troops On Courage, Loyalty

BORNO State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aderemi Opadokun, yesterday confirmed the killing of 14 people in Gumsuri village on the outskirts of Maiduguri metropolis, after two suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers detonated their strapped Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at a mosque while the moslem faithful were conducting their Thursday prayers at 6.35pm.

Double bombing rocks Jos, 13-year-old with suicide vest held

Opadokun said 15 people who injured in the blasts were taken to the Maiduguri Specialist Hospital and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital by the rescue team of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) led by its Zonal Coordinator, Alhaji Mohammed Kanar.

In a text message to The Guardian in Maiduguri, Opadokun said: “Two suspected bombers detonated IEDs in and outside a mosque of the Maiduguri village of Molai. The mosque consequently collapsed, injuring many people praying inside. Casualties have been evacuated to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) and Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri.”

Investigations, according to him, were in progress and normalcy has been restored in the village with increased patrol of the Molai and Damboa road and environs.

Meanwhile, barely 12 hours after Thursday’s twin blasts, three suspected female Boko Haram suicide bombers also attacked Umarari village with “hidden strapped” IEDs, killing four people including two children in the early hours of yesterday. Umarari is farming community and 15 kilometres south of Maiduguri, the state capital.

According to Umarari village head, Alhaji Bako Bulama, 22 people were also injured in the blasts and were evacuated to the Specialist Hospital Maiduguri yesterday morning by the rescue team of NEMA.

“We were shocked and terrified with these blasts that shattered the lives and property of my people in the early hours of Friday at 5.07am. You can see the bodies of four villagers, along with their two children killed by female suicide bombers last night. The vigilante youths however intervened by chasing one of the insurgents into the bush on bicycles and he was arrested this morning,” Bulama said.

He said one of the female suicide bombers detonated the explosives at the hut of a villager who was asleep before the early morning prayers.

However, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Yusuf Buratai has charged troops of the Operation Lafiya Dole fighting to defeat terrorists in the North East to be courageous in carrying out the offensive and remain loyal to the cause to keep the nation united.

Buratai gave the charge in his address to the troops as they prepared to launch another offensive on the insurgents in their remaining enclaves.

The COAS, who noted that the next few days would be crucial to Operation Lafiya Dole, said: “It is also crucial to our country Nigeria. Our sovereignty as a nation is threatened. The Nigerian Army and indeed the military as the symbol of our nationhood, is being challenged.

“Our ability to stand and defeat the Boko Haram terrorists in the next few weeks will determine the future of our country. We cannot afford to lose the fight. We are better trained and better equipped.

The whole nation is behind us. Mr President is with us. Let us remain steadfast in this noble cause. Be courageous. We must degrade and defeat the terrorists. This job must be done. We must make our country men and women proud.”

Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima and Director General of NEMA, Mohammed Sani Sidi yesterday visited the scene of the blasts and family members of the victims.

They urged the villagers to always be conscious and vigilant of any suspicious movement of individuals and groups of people in their midst.

“Security and protection of your lives and property should not be left alone to the military and other security agencies in the state. All of you here from today should rise up to the challenges we are facing on this Boko Haram madness of destruction of many lives and property in Borno,” Shettima said.

A member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), Hamza Isa, also said: “The suspects burst into this village through the northern flank of Sambisa Forest to target Maiduguri markets and motor parks before they detonated the explosives in Umarari village about 5am. The motive of the suspects was to cause more havoc on people’s lives and property. But some of us were able to track down and arrest one Boko Haram suspect.”

Bomb Blasts Kill 18, Injure 37 In Borno

Strings of Suicide Attacks Put Maiduguri on Edge

Over 60 killed in one week; fear grips residents

Buratai warns of all-out offensive against sect

Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri and Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

The last seven days have been horrendous for residents of Maiduguri and its suburbs, with an upsurge in suicide bombings by the Boko Haram sect claiming over 60 lives.

The attacks are coming on the heels of warning by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai of an impending all-out war against the terrorists in the North-east in a matter of days

The latest attack in Maiduguri took place yesterday morning in Umarari Village, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, during which three female underage suicide bombers detonated bombs, killing seven villagers.

This upsurge in attacks is coming despite assurances by the military to annihilate the terrorists by December.

Following the heightened suicide attacks, many in Maiduguri are now living in fear, with Muslim faithful choosing to shun congregational prayers at Mosque for individual prayers at home.

Some of the Muslims who spoke to our correspondent said it was wiser now to avoid congregational prayers centres as it draws the attention of suicide bombers.

One of those that spoke to our correspondent in Maiduguri, Abba Yunus said from recent attacks, Mosques, because of the large gathering are being targeted by suicide bombers.

“I have chosen for now to pray at home especially at nights and in the mornings; it seems to be the time the suicide bombers are on the prowl,” said Yunus.

Three underage girls detonated bombs during the attacks on Umarari Village.

A resident of the village, Idris Mohammed told our correspondent on phone that the explosions occurred after the three young girls ran into houses in the village detonating bombs strapped on them.

He confirmed that seven persons, including the three suicide bombers died in the attack.

He equally said twenty other persons were injured and had been assisted by the villagers to hospitals in Maiduguri.

The spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the Northeast, Abdulkadir Ibrahim confirmed the Umarari Village attacks.

Umarari is a village behind Molai which was attacked on Thursday night.

Governor Kashim Shettima who visited the scenes of the attacks, in company of NEMA Director-General, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Sidi commiserated with the families and relations of the deceased even as he urged the people to be more security conscious and report suspicious persons or group of people to the security agencies in the area.

Just on Wednesday, the suicide bombers attacked Sajere, Maiduguri, killing 7 people.

The most deadly of the raging attacks took place on Thursday in Molai, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, during which 43 people were killed in a Mosque after a suicide attack by suspected Boko Haram members.

Molai is a distance of about 15 Kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital and had witnessed some suicide explosions in the past.

The entire Molai Mosque came crumbling down on the worshippers. As mourners gathered to evacuate the corpses another bomb was detonated right in their midst killing more people.

A survivor in the Mosque attack, Tijjani Bulama told journalists that he was lucky to have joined the congregation late for the prayer.

Bulama said his entire household – his father and siblings – were tragically lost in the first twin explosions at the Mosque in Molai.

He said the bang was so loud that he lost his hearing for some minutes and he was also unconscious.

“I could not hear anything again. I was shocked and didn’t know what to do. It was a bad experience for me,” he added.

Another residents said a male suicide bomber came into the Molai mosque at about 6.30pm as if he was one of the worshippers and minutes later, a loud sound came from the Mosque; the entire building carved in, killing all worshippers.

“After the first blast, Civilian JTF, relatives and other people came to rescue the victims; unknown to them, the second one (suicide bomber) detonated his own in their midst killing more people,” said the eyewitness.

Borno State Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Opadokun said in a test message after the Molai attacks: “The death toll has risen to 30 in the early hours of Friday as more corpses including the village head of the area, were discovered and evacuated to the hospital mortuary.

Fear grips Maiduguri residents…

Elizabeth Yakubu, a resident of Bulumkutu who lives in the same neighborhood with Sajeri, captures the prevailing mood in the town as follows: “I have restricted going out at night. Whatever I want to buy, I buy before 6:30pm because most of these attacks are at night.

“It is sad that the suicide attacks are on the increase but unfortunately,  since I have a job to do, I cannot flee town just like that, all I have to do is to take precautions.”

Ibrahim Idris, a taxi driver was however, more philosophical: “I am a man of faith and believe that when death will come, it will come but it is quite unfortunate that the terrorists seem to be on the prowl and are killing people daily.

“They have successfully sent fear into everyone, we are praying that the government finds a way of arresting these suicide attacks, the rate at which people are dying from bomb attacks is simply unacceptable and if something is not done to put an end to it, I won’t be surprised to see people fleeing Maiduguri.”

On her part, Hassanatu Kyari, who had earlier fled from Damboa to Molai when it was attacked last year, lamented that the terrorists keep pushing for Maiduguri. I had to flee to Molai from Damboa because of these hoodlums but as they have started pushing for Molai, I may need to make a decision very soon to move into Maiduguri.

“I just pray that the government is able to stop this their push for Maiduguri, because the alternative is that people may have to flee the capital and that will be very disastrous.”

Buratai warns of all-out offensive against sect…

Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has in a solemn message to the troops engaged in Operation Lafiya Dole yesterday, warned of the impending all-out war against the Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east in a matter of days.

Buratai stated that “the next few days will be crucial to Operation Lafiya Dole”, warning that “it is also crucial to our country Nigeria”.

According to him, “our sovereignty as a nation is threatened”.

He said: “The Nigerian Army and indeed the military  as the symbol of our nationhood is being challenged.  Our ability to stand and defeat the Boko Haram terrorists in the next few weeks will determine the future of our country.

“We cannot afford to lose the fight. We are better trained and better equipped. The whole nation is behind us. Mr. President is with us. Let us remain steadfast in this noble cause. Be courageous. We must degrade and defeat the terrorists. This job must be done. We must make our country men and women proud.”

The latest statement from the CoAS might have been a fallout of the earlier warning issued by the Nigerian military that all Boko Haram terrorists wherever they are, to desist from all acts of terrorism, surrender themselves and face the law now.

Recall that the Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, had last week stated that terrorists’ continued insurgency was an exercise in futility since the military “are aware of all their hideouts, camps and enclaves”.

Usman had urged the remnants to “follow their colleagues who have so far surrendered”, warning that “failure to surrender will result in serious consequences as our troops are fast closing up with them”.

However, it seems as if the warning fell on deaf ears as the terrorists have stepped up suicide bombing attacks that have left close to 60 people dead and several others injured in Maiduguri metropolis in just one week.

The heightened attacks are also coming barely few days after President Muhammadu Buhari assured he was “fully confident” of ending the Boko Haram terrorism by the end of this year, saying that the military “is well-positioned to meet the December deadline which they had been given”.

Strings of Suicide Attacks Put Maiduguri on Edge

Suicide bombers disguised as worshippers kill many in mosque

Dozens of worshippers were killed Thursday when two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a mosque in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, witnesses said.

Bomb Scene

“All the people in the mosque died. Not a single one escaped,” said Muhtari Ahmadu, a trader near the scene.

“We counted 42 dead bodies outside the mosque,” added Amadu Marte, a vigilante supporting the security forces in the fight against the Islamist Boko Haram group, which has carried out repeated attacks in the region.

Borno state police confirmed that the mosque was hit by twin bombings but gave a lower toll of about 14 dead.

Following the explosions, the mosque collapsed and injured “many people praying”, the police said in a statement.

“Casualties have been evacuated to UMTH (University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital) and specialist hospitals in Maiduguri,” it added.

The bombers slipped into the mosque disguised as worshippers, witnesses said.

One of the attackers set off the first blast when he entered the mosque, they said. The second bomber detonated his explosives soon after, when many had rushed to the scene to help the first victims.

“When rescuers and sympathizers gathered in front of the place, the second one went off, killing many of them,” Marte said.

The blasts occurred around 6:30pm (1730 GMT) in Molai, in the western suburbs of Maiduguri, where worshippers had gathered for evening prayers, the witnesses said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but suspicion fell on Boko Haram, which was founded in Borno’s state capital Maiduguri in 2009.

The city has been hit repeatedly since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power on May 29 with a vow to crush the insurgency.

Boko Haram claimed responsibility for three suicide attacks in the satellite towns of Kuje and Nyanya outside Nigeria’s capital Abuja on October 2, which killed a total of 18 people and injured 41.

Nigeria’s military claims the Islamist militants are a spent force and that troops have driven them from their camps and occupied territory in the remote region.

But guerrilla-style attacks have continued, including across the border. At the weekend, 41 people were killed in triple explosions in Baga Sola, on the Chadian side of Lake Chad, where Nigeria meets Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

The four countries have launched a joint offensive against the Islamists.

Their mission received a boost on Wednesday when US President Barack Obama said he was deploying up to 300 military personnel to Cameroon for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations against Boko Haram insurgents.

At least 17,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million made homeless since Boko Haram began its bloody campaign for an

Suicide bombers disguised as worshippers kill many in mosque

Suicide bombers kill 7 in Maiduguri explosion

The Borno Police Command on Wednesday confirmed the death of seven persons, including three suicide bombers, in Tuesday night’s explosion at the outskirt of Maiduguri.

Mr Aderemi Opadokun the State Commissioner of Police, made this confirmation while speaking with newsmen in Maiduguri.

“At about 7.41 pm on Tuesday, there were Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion in three locations at the outskirt of Maiduguri.

“The locations are Gidan Shanu behind Bakassi estate, Sajeri and Bulumkutu,” Opadokun said.

“Seven people, including three suspected suicide bombers, died, while eleven persons were injured.

“All the casualties have been removed from scene and taken to the hospital and normalcy has been restored,” he said.

Suicide bombers kill 7 in Maiduguri explosion

Breaking: 10 feared killed, as multiple blasts rock Maiduguri

Maiduguri (Nigeria) (AFP) – Multiple explosions were heard Sunday, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, a city in northeastern Nigeria that has repeatedly been attacked by Boko Haram Islamists, locals said.

They said loud explosions were heard from the areas of Kayamla and Dalori, three days after Maiduguri was attacked by the insurgents, leaving 10 dead and many more injured.

“The sound of bomb explosions is being heard from Kayamla and Dalori along Bama Road since around 7:00 am today,” said Kursi Yusuf, an employee at the nearby University of Maiduguri.

“We are not sure whether the terrorists are planning to invade the town but the sound vibrating is devastating,” he said.

Khadija Mustapha, a resident of Dalori Quarters, 11 kilometres from Maiduguri, said she had fled her home with her three daughters for fear of being caught in the explosions.

“I don’t know what will happen. The sound of the explosives is really disturbing,” she said. “Many of us… have vacated our homes.”

A military officer who did not want to be named confirmed the series of blasts but said troops were on top of the situation.

“The terrorists will not have their way,” he told AFP.

Boko Haram has repeatedly attacked Maiduguri with at least 10 people killed and 39 others injured on Thursday night when four suicide bombers blew themselves up in the city.

On September 20, some 117 people were killed in a wave of attacks blamed on the Islamists.

On Saturday in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, at least 18 people were killed and 41 wounded when multiple blasts rocked the crowded Kuje and Nyanya districts of the city.

Nigeria’s military has claimed a series of successes against Boko Haram in recent weeks, which has led many to fear an increase in attacks against civilians in the restive northeast.

The conflict has claimed more than 1,260 lives in Nigeria alone since Muhammadu Buhari took office as president on May 29, according to an AFP tally.

At least 17,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million made homeless since the Boko Haram insurgency began in 2009.

Breaking: 10 feared killed, as multiple blasts rock Maiduguri

Breaking: Soldiers Discovered Another BH Fuel Dump In Maiduguri

By Ehi Ekhator, Naija Center News

Another Boko Haram fuel dump has been discovered in Maiduguri, Nigeria military revealed on Friday.

Boko Haram fuel dump

Troops on Thursday afternoon discovered and raided a fuel dump at abbaganaram in Maiduguri city, Borno State, following a tip off by well meaning citizens.

According to a statement by the Nigerian Defence Headquarter, one person, Musa Abba was arrested  during the operation

Other items discovered consificated were;  11 drums of AGO, 1 empty drum, 192 of 25 litres jerrycans, (out of which 70 were loaded with AGO, PMS and DPK), a Toyota bus and 1 Peugeot car. Others include a motorcycle and an air conditioner.

The statement read: “The fuel depot was used to stockpile Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants by Boko Haram terrorists and their equally heartless collaborators for onward movement to the terrorists camps in Sambisa forest.

“Over time we have been exhorting the public especially the residence of the north eastern part of the country which has been mostly affected by the acts of the Boko Haram terrorists to cooperate fully with the military and the security agencies.

“It is gratifying to note that such call is being heeded to by overwhelming majority of people as exemplified by the courageous and patriotic efforts of the good citizens that exposed this fuel dump in their midst. It is important that people should see the fight against the security menace of Boko Haram terrorism as collective responsibility.”

The military called on Nigerians to be vigilant and help the soldiers with useful information

It said “Therefore the public are kindly requested to be more vigilant and assist with useful information that would assist in preventing Boko Haram terrorists from carrying out their nefarious acts against the society”

Breaking: Soldiers Discovered Another BH Fuel Dump In Maiduguri

Bloody Independence Day: Sucide Bombers Kill Scores in Maiduguri

Maiduguri was thrown into pandemonium on Thursday evening, coinciding with the nation’s 55th Independence anniversary, as multiple bomb explosions disrupted the relative peace in the town.

Bomb Scene

It was gathered that over four suicide bombers attacked the town at about 7.15pm.

A source told our correspondent on the telephone that the attackers entered the Borno State capital at about 7pm from the Zajeri area and spread to other locations marked as targets.

A resident of one of the areas, Yusuf Imam, said one of the suicide attackers targeted a roadside teaseller, where an explosion killed no fewer than 10 persons.

Another blast was said to have targetted the home of the leader of the youth vigilance group in the area.

During the attack on the vigilance group leader’s house, five persons were said to have been killed while the leader was reported to have sustained injuries.

Imam said two other attacks were targeted at other areas of Zajeri with an unspecified number of people killed.

He said the casualties could have been higher but for the soldiers who came to the rescue of the people of the area and were able to gun down two persons believed to be members of the suicide bombers.

These two were said to have delayed in detonating their explosive devices but after being shot by the soldiers, there were blasts from the bombs strapped on them.

The spokesman for the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Col, Tukur Gusau, said there was no attack on the town, explaining that the explosions were heard from the testing of military equipment.

He said, “There is no cause for alarm. We are testfiring our weapons for night operations efficiency.”

Bloody Independence Day: Sucide Bombers Kill Scores in Maiduguri

Boko Haram: Suicide bomber kills another 27, injures 62 in Maiduguri

Twenty-seven persons were killed and 62 others injured during bomb attacks on Monguno, a town about 135 kilometres from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.

Bomb Scene

A member of the youth vigilante group, Idris Baba, told our correspondent on Tuesday that the Monguno attack happened at about the same time 54 persons were killed through bombs planted by members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect in Maiduguri on Sunday.

He said a bomb explosion from a suicide bomber hit the Onion section of a local market at Monguno on Sunday evening, which resulted in the death of not less than 27 persons, mostly traders.

A medical officer at the state Specialists Hospital, Maiduguri, who spoke anonymously, said, “Five vehicles conveyed 62 injured persons from the Monguno attack to the Specialists Hospital in Maiduguri (on Monday afternoon) but we quickly asked them to go to the University Teaching Hospital, because our facilities are over-stretched.”

A resident of Monguno, Baana Abubakar, who accompanied some of the injured persons to Maiduguri, confirmed to our correspondent that 27 persons were killed.

“I was at the Onion market after the bomb explosion to help in the rescue of people. I counted 27 dead bodies from the scene,” he said.

“We lost 27 people in the bomb blast. Our people have started burying the dead ones. One of the injured ones we brought to Maiduguri today also died,” he said.

Confirming the attack, the Borno State Police Commissioner, Aderemi Opadokun, in a text message, said, “Yes, at about 1330 hrs of 21/9/15, caretaker Chairman of Monguno Local Government reported an IED Explosion at Monguno Onion Market at about 2130 hrs of 20/9/15.

“Some people died on the spot while others sustained various degrees of injuries. Injured victims were transferred to UMTH, Maiduguri, while the dead were buried by their relations. The scene has been visited. Investigation is presently in progress.”

Monguno is the birth place of the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno.

Meanwhile, the pan-Northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, on Tuesday urged the Nigerian military never to be deterred by the renewed bombing by the Boko Haram insurgents in Maiduguri, Borno State.

The Boko Haram terrorists had on Sunday carried out multiple suicide bombings which claimed 50 lives at Damari and Bulunkutu areas of Borno State.

However, the ACF said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim, in Kaduna that the military was already winning the war on insurgents and should not relent.

According to the forum, with the renewed effort of the military and the civilian JTF, Maiduguri had experienced relative peace, “but for this wicked act of barbarism on September 20,2015.”

The ACF, while condemning the continued use of suicide bombers by Boko Haram to kill innocent people, also hailed the Nigerian military for the onslaught on the terrorists’ enclaves.

It noted that all the Nigerian military needed to route out the insurgents was to intensify its intelligence synergy with the community.

The northern body said,”Arewa Consultative Forum was shocked and disturbed by the sad news of the multiple bomb blasts again which occurred on Sunday September 20, 2015, at Gomari and Bulunkutu areas of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, killing about 50 people with many injured.

“The ACF condemns in strong terms the continued use of suicide bombers by Boko Haram terrorists to kill innocent people in the name of a religious war, as no religion condones such cruel and barbaric act.

“The ACF wishes to commend the military and other security agencies for the continued onslaught on the terrorists’ enclaves and hideouts, thereby dislodging them from their strong holds.

“The ACF urges the military not to be deterred by the cowardly act of the Boko Haram terrorists, as their renewed effort and determination will soon end the insurgency.

“The ACF also appeals to the military to intensify its synergy of sharing intelligence with the community.”

The ACF also condoled with families of those who lost their loved ones, the government and people of Borno State over the tragic incident.

Boko Haram: Suicide bomber kills another 27, injures 62 in Maiduguri

Boko Haram: Multiple Explosion rocks Maiduguri

• Boko Haram desperate, says Army Director

There were multiple blasts in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital last night.

Boko Haram terrorists were believed to have struck a mosque and the area outside the building, according to witnesses.

A statement by Army’s acting Director of Information Col.Sani Usman said:

“This is to inform the public that there were three improvised explosive devices explosions at Gomari and Ajilari general area in Maiduguri at about 7.21pm today evening.

“Although details are not clear, it is important to note the attacks signify high level of desperation on the part of the Boko Haram terrorists.

“Security personnel and emergency management teams have been drafted to the area and appropriate security measures being taken.

“We would like to state that the Nigerian military would not be deterred in its determined efforts of defeating Boko Haram terrorists in the shortest possible time.

“We would like to assure the public also that now the terrorists have  shown their ugly presence  in such areas, there is need for more vigilance, security consciousness and prompt reporting of suspicious persons or group of persons in their midst. This would enable the security take appropriate measures against them.

“It will be recalled that their previous attempts to attack and blow up Allau dam was thwarted”

Boko Haram yesterday denied claims by the authorities of winning the six-year war against insurgency after the army said it was pushing “for the final defeat” of the militants.

“We are still at battle ground,” Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the terrorist group was quoted to have said in an audio recording posted on YouTube. It could not be immediately verified.

Shekau’s status has been hazy for a long time with claims and counterclaims on whether he is dead or alive. It is believed in security quarters that he may have died and that some sect members are impersonating him.

Besides, the fact that yesterday’s message was relayed on an audio rather than video, which he had always used, is another pointer to the fact that all is not well with Shekau.

Comments by the military are “propaganda” and “lies”, Shekau said in Hausa, dismissing claims that the group would be flushed out before the end of the year as ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The military could not be reached for comments. Text messages sent to both the army spokesman and the acting Director of of Defence Information were not replied. They also did not pick calls.

President Buhari has ordered the military to end the insurgency in three months.

”Buhari said he is going to finish with us in three months. You did not finish with us; there is a lot more to do, you Nigerians, you Chadians, you Cameroonians,” Shekau said in the audio recording.

The latest attack by the group was staged in Cameroon at the weekend.Two young suicide bombers killed three people in far north Cameroon yesterday..

The youths set off their suicide belts in the town of Mora as a police officer became suspicious of their appearance and approached to question them, a security source said.

“The toll is five dead, including two civilians, a police inspector and the two suicide bombers,” a security source at the scene told AFP.

A separate source close to regional security forces confirmed the toll and said the attackers, who aimed to target the town’s market, were a “young girl and a young boy”, without giving any more details.

“If they had succeeded in their plan, the toll would have been terrible,” the second source added.

The military has started reopening some of the schools closed for the past two years in Borno State. Troops reopened a public school in Gwoza on Saturday.

Military spokesperson Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman said schools were being reopened. Troops continue to recapture territory from the insurgents.

The UN children’s agency said at least 1.4 million children are displaced by Boko Haram’s uprising.

Boko Haram: Multiple Explosion rocks Maiduguri

48 more killed, scores injured in Borno

From TIMOTHY OLANREWAJU, Maiduguri

At least 48 people have been killed in a bomb blast at a local market in a remote Borno State community. Source said some explosive devices which were carefully concealed in a  usually crowded part of the Sabongari market, Damboa Local Government Area in the south, went off at about 1.35pm yesterday, killing at least 48 people.

Bomb Scene

A vigilance member in Damboa said more than 40 people were injured in the attack. He said the bomb was concealed inside the market, adding that the perpetrators allowed commercial activities to peak before detonating the bomb.

Some residents of Maiduguri who hailed from the area told Daily Sun that the community was thrown first into confusion and later, mourning as the casualty rose to 48 by yesterday evening.

“Almost all the families lost loved ones. The bomb attack was devastating. We learnt from our people that bodies littered the scene of the blast,” Dauda Yusuf, a Maiduguri resident told Daily Sun on phone.

He said residents of Sabongari were so shocked that they couldn’t pick the bodies from the scene in time. He said more than 40 people have, however, been taken to the hospital.

The bomb attack came two days after suspected Boko Haram insurgents ambushed a commercial Golf car in a village near Sabongari, killing four passengers.

48 more killed, scores injured in Borno

Female suicide bomber targets Maiduguri market

A female suicide bomber blew herself up Friday at a big market in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, a vigilante and a witness said.

“There had been a suicide attack on Gamboru market this morning. It was a female suicide bomber. The attack happened around 6:30 am (0530 GMT) as the grocers were arriving in the market which starts early,” said the vigilante, Babakura Kolo.

There is no immediate information on the number of victims, although witness accounts suggest that there have been casualties.

“From accounts we gathered from people around, the woman arrived on a taxi tricycle, as every woman grocer does. She blew herself up as soon as the tricycle stopped in the midst of other tricycles that were dropping traders off,” Kolo told AFP.

A witness, who declined to be named, corroborated this account.

“I was at home when I heard a loud explosion that sent me rushing out of my house. It was coming from the Gamboru market. I went there, but from afar. The place was littered with victims and burning rickshaws,” the source told AFP.

The Gamboru market is the second largest in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state.

A “mentally handicapped” female suicide bomber killed at least 14 people and injured 47 more last Sunday at a crowded market Damaturu, capital of neighbouring Yobe state.

Damaturu was also the scene of a triple suicide bombing on July 18 when three girls blew themselves up killing at least 13 people as residents prepared for the Eid festival marking the end of Ramadan.

Female suicide bomber targets Maiduguri market

Terrorism in Nigeria: Boko Haram kill 25 in Maiduguri

The dreaded Boko Haram sect has killed 25 persons at the outskirts of Maiduguri, a member of youth vigilance group, Abba Izge, told our correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday in Maiduguri.

Abubakar Shekau

Izge said over a hundred Boko Haram militants stormed Mainok village in Konduga Local Government of Borno State, North-East Nigeria on Monday at about 6pm, killing residents at will in a siege that was on four over three hours.

He said the vehicles that were trapped in Mainok, along Maiduguri/Damaturu highways, were not spared as they were set ablaze by the hoodlums.

Izge said, “More than 30 vehicles that were trapped were burnt down as well as hundreds of homes.

Mainok village is about 45 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

He said, “The entire town was left to mourn the dead and bury their lost ones; some of them burnt beyond recognition.

“Some of the foodstuffs of the villagers were carted away.”

He said some people have not been seen after the attack on the town, which has made many to be apprehensive that perhaps they might have gone away with them with the mission to forcefully conscript them.

Meanwhile, the United States Government has said that the brutality of Boko Haram knows no bounds in view of the recent attacks by the insurgents across the countries in the West African region.

The US also condemned in strong terms the recent killings of innocent people by Boko Haram. The terrorist group’s latest violent attacks were carried out on Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria.

In a statement made available to our correspondent on Tuesday by the US Embassy in Nigeria, the US Department of State’s spokesperson, John Kirby, stated that the US strongly condemned the “horrific and indiscriminate” Boko Haram suicide attacks on the Grand Marche in the Chadian capital of N’Djamena on Saturday, as well as attacks in Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria “over the past two days.”

The statement said, “Boko Haram’s targeting of men, women and children highlights that the group’s brutality and barbarism know no bounds, and we remain committed to working closely with the region to root out the threat posed by the group.”

Terrorism in Nigeria: Boko Haram kill 25 in Maiduguri