Boko Haram: Female bombers kill 14, injure 24 in Chibok

By Ndahi Marama

MAIDUGURI—Two suspected Female suicide bombers, yesterday attacked Chibok Market in Chibok Local Government area of Borno State, leaving 14 persons dead and over 24 others seriously injured, All Progressives Congress, APC, chairman in Chibok, Lawan Pogu, said in Maiduguri.

According to the report from Chibok, the Chibok market shut since the attack in Chibok School where over 200 female students were abducted by Islamic militants, was only opened yesterday.

File: A screengrab taken on May 12, 2014, from a video of Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram obtained by AFP shows girls, wearing the full-length hijab and praying in an undisclosed rural location. Boko Haram released a new video on claiming to show the missing Nigerian schoolgirls, alleging they had converted to Islam and would not be released until all militant prisoners were freed. A total of 276 girls were abducted on April 14 from the northeastern town of Chibok, in Borno state, which has a sizeable Christian community. Some 223 are still missing. — File: Abducted Chibok girls.

Pogu said: “The market was opened today, and the suicide bombers hit the market at exactly 12:54 pm. eight persons died on the spot while over 30 persons were rushed to the General hospital Uba in Askira local government with two of the victims in critical condition.”

Another resident of Chibok, Mallum Chibok told Vanguard that, despite the presence of security in Chibok, the Boko Haram insurgents succeeded in attacking the area indicating that, the insurgents were everywhere.

According to him, “We kicked against the reopening of the Chibok market but some people said that normalcy had returned. I cannot understand the reason why government is insisting that normalcy has returned when you can not go to Chibok from Maiduguri through Damboa? The road is still closed because Boko Haram insurgents are still operating 21 kilometres away from Maiduguri.

“Today, they opened the market and we lost 14 persons on the spot with over 30 hospitalized. From what we are being told now as we speak, some of the people who were taken to the hospital gave up as soon as they reach the hospital in Uba from the text massage I just received.

”Look at it, they said another six more people died making the number 14. Since the attack I have received more than 100 calls and more calls and text massages are coming in. This is very unfortunate and unbelieving. It is sad for us.” Chibok said.

All efforts to get confirmation from the Police Public Relations Officer of Borno State Command, Mr. Victor Isuku, proved abortive as his phone lines were inaccessible at press time.