30 Killed In Market Bomb Blast In Maiduguri

A bomb blast ripped through the popular Maidugiri abattoir market also known as Gamboru Cattle Market in Borno state on June 2, 2015, Tuesday.

The incident which happened around 12.35 pm, may have killed dozens of people as the bomb was reportedly planted in a toilet facility within the abattoir.

Though details on the exact number of victims are still sketchy, a hospital source confirmed to SaharaReporters in the evening of June 2 that 30 people lost their lives in the attack. The death toll may increase by morning, as many remain critically injured.

”The situation of today’s suicide bombing was bad because many of the innocent people were seriously injured, I could not control my emotions. I wept for the first time. The situation is worrisome,” a nurse said.

Soldiers were deployed to control the situation at both State Specialist and UMTH hospitals of the capital of Borno state.

The market, which is the biggest animal slaughter house in Maiduguri, is where camels, cows, sheep and goats are prepared before distribution to various parts of the troubled city.

The facility is where the butchers in the abattoir take their bath after each day’s work which usually lasts between 6.30am and 12 noon.

“The bomb was kept in a bag near the rest house and the owner pretended as if he wanted to ease himself. Many people were killed when the bomb exploded and many others sustained serious injuries”, one of the butchers, Tanko Mahauchi, said.

Men of the Nigerian Fire Service, Red Cross and NEMA were on ground at the scene to contain the effects of the bomb blast.

“It shook our school building and I had to run away. I saw military vehicles with soldiers moving toward the area,” Abubakar Mohammed, a college student few meters away from the blast scene, told Reuters.

Maidugiri has come under intense attacks by terrorist group, Boko Haram, in the last few days, despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that the top Command and Control Centre of the military should move to Maidugiri.

Earlier today, members of the deadly group made an attempt to over run the city through a river bank, but were unsuccessful in their attempt to advance further because of traps set by the Nigerian military.