Again, Suicide Bombers Strike UNIMAID, Kill Professor, 5 Others

• Buhari rains curses on Boko Haram  
• Saraki, Dogara, others condemn act

Tobi Soniyi, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Omololu Ogunmade, Damilola Oyedele in Abuja and Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

The serenity of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Maiduguri, Borno State was shattered in the early hours of yesterday morning as three suicide bombers, suspected to be agents of the insurgency group, Boko Haram, invaded its campus and detonated two bombs that killed six persons, including a lecturer in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Prof. Aliyu Mani.

About 15 other persons were said to have sustained injuries in the attack that has evoked an emotion laden statement from President Muhammadu Buhari who rained curses on the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

The Borno State Police Command said yesterday that three separate attempts were made. While the first was partially thwarted, killing the suicide bomber and one other person, the second hit a mosque where Mani and three others, including the bomber were killed. The third was unsuccessful as the security agencies took out the bomber before she could detonate her weapon of destruction.

“Allah will not spare them,” Buhari cursed yesterday in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina.

Speaking on the attacks, the police spokesman in the state, Victor Isuku, a DSP, said in a satement: “At about 0515hrs of date (Monday), a police mobile force personnel on duty near Gate 4 at the back of University of Maiduguri, gunned down a female suicide bomber of about 12 years old, who was trying to infiltrate the university premises, and the IED strapped to her body exploded killing her instantly.

“Shortly after that, a second explosion occurred in a mosque inside the university. Four (4) persons including a professor and the second suicide bomber died, while fifteen (15) persons sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).”

In a test message much later, Isuku said there was another attack after the initial two.

He said: “At about 0800hrs a third female suicide bomber of about 12 years old with IED strapped to her body, was intercepted at Bara Karaya village behind University of Maiduguri, in Muna Garage  general area.

“The suicide bomber was sighted by villagers who promptly alerted the military. She was gunned down, while EOD personnel of the command secured and rendered safe the unexploded IED vest.”

Also confirming the incident to journalists, the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Mr Damian Chukwu, said that 15 persons who sustained various degrees of injuries were rushed to the hospital.

He called on residents to be vigilant at all times as well as report any suspicious movement to security agents.

Buhari, Saraki, Dogara, others condemn act

In a swift reaction, Buhari rained curses on the Boko Haram insurgents, saying Allah would not spare them for bombing a mosque at the university.

The president, who strongly condemned the attack said that the perpetrators did not understand what Islam stood for.

“Their despicable acts of terrorism are cowardly, criminal, unjustifiable and punishable before God Almighty and the laws of the land,” he said.

The president, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, expressed  sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the university community, families of the victims and the government and people of Borno State.

Buhari said he believed that this appalling attack on a revered place of worship and Ivory Tower showed that the perpetrators had no true understanding of Islam.

The president reassured communities in Borno and others in the North-east of the country that his administration would continue to ensure that terrorism did not triumph over peace-loving Nigerians.

He reaffirmed the need for Nigerians to remain more vigilant even as the security agencies continued to use all means at their disposal to combat the remnants of insurgents and their sponsors.

Buhari comforted the families of the dead and wished those injured speedy and full recovery.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki also yesterday in Abuja condemned the bombing in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicly, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu

He decried the loss of valuable human lives and destruction of property during the incident.

He expressed concern on the increasing spate of Boko Haram attacks in the North-east since the liberation of the Sambisa forest, which used to be the stronghold of the insurgents.

Such attacks, he said, had created fear in Nigerians that in spite of the obvious defeat of the insurgents, pockets of attacks were still being perpetrated by the fleeing remnants of the insurgents.

He also said the attack on the university provided a cogent reason why security should be further strengthened around all educational and allied institutions to prevent recurrence.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, joined in the spate of condemnation of the bombing as callous.

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Mr. Turaki Hassan, he described the attack as the height of wickedness, barbarism, callousness and ungodliness.

He lamented that despite the efforts of the military at dislodging the terrorists, they still had the audacity to execute such attacks, adding that the mode of the latest attacks, was another evil dimension embraced by the terrorists.

The speaker, however, urged the military and other security agencies working in the region, not to be deterred, but to make concerted efforts to consolidate on the gains they had recorded so far.

The Nigerian Army on its part condoled with the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ibrahim Njodi, over the bomb attacks.

The head of the counter-insurgency operation in the North East (Operation Lafiya Dole), Maj Gen Lucky Irabor, said the death of Mani was not in vain having contributed much to the university and humanity.

“I came to the university Radio station on appointment only to hear the sad news of the bomb blast and decided to condole you over the loss of Prof. Aliyu Mani and others,” he said, adding: “The death of Prof. Aliyu Mani and others as well as those wounded is never in vain. What is happening now depicts that the end of Boko Haram is at hand. We are trailing their remnants to clear them.”

Responding, Njodi thanked Irabor for the condolence, adding that the visit was a wonderful show of love to the university and its community.

“We would have closed the university but in other to show that we trust our military, the management only decided to stop only today’s exams to be continued tomorrow. The aim of Boko Haram is to make us close the university but, we will never do that,” he said.

He, however, pleaded with the military to consider deploying soldiers in the institution to boost its security.

Former Vice President and Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar also  condemned the suicide bomb attack, describing it at as a dangerous development.

In a statement by his media office in Abuja yesterday, the Turakin Adamawa noted that following the February 2014 attack on the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, in which 40 male students were murdered, as well as the April 2014 kidnapping of over 200 girls from their school dormitory in Chibok, Nigeria had not experienced any such act of terrorism perpetrated within a school.

“The attack on UNIMAID is not just about a bomb exploding in a mosque,” Atiku said, adding: “Once again, education in the north-east of Nigeria is under attack.”

The former Vice President added that lack of education was one of the most alarming threats to security in the North-east, as many of the terrorists had been shown to be people who had either never had the chance or ability to read the Koran for themselves and interpret the tenets of Islam beyond the false teachings of their terrorist commanders.