Suicide Bomber Kills Vigilante at Maiduguri Mosque
- Boko Haram ambushes police convoy on highway
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja and Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri
A suicide bomb attack was yesterday morning averted at a mosque in Maiduguri, the police has stated.
According to the spokesman of the police in Borno, Victor Isuku, a male suicide bomber attempting to attack a mosque at Dalori quarters was intercepted by a youth vigilante.
He said the suicide bomber detonated the explosive strapped on him to prevent being caught alive and in the process died alongside the youth vigilante.
According to the statement, “Today (Tuesday) at about 0522hrs, a male suicide bomber detonated an IED strapped to his body near a mosque at Dalori Quarters situated along Maiduguri/Konduga/Bama road, killing himself and a Civilian JTF operative who was preventing the suicide bomber from getting close to or access the mosque where many faithful in the locality were observing their early morning prayers.
“EOD personnel of the command, have since swept the scene and rendered it safe, while normalcy has returned to the area.”
Also confirming the attack in a statement, the Head Media and Public Relations of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Sani Datti, disclosed that two persons died in a foiled suicide bomb attack in Dalori quarters, Maiduguri.
He said: “One Civilian JTF and a male suicide bomber lost their lives in a foiled suicide bomb attack which was targeted at a mosque during morning prayer in Dalori quarters, Maiduguri Borno State.
He added: “The incident occurred at round 5:20a.m. on Tuesday. Their bodies have been deposited at the Specialists Hospital Maiduguri.”
Meanwhile, a policeman was shot dead with four others wounded by suspected Boko Haram terrorists in a highway ambush.
A police source told THISDAY that the official was lost during an attack by the insurgents on police convoy at Kubwa along Damboa-Biu highway yesterday afternoon.
He said the ambush occurred at Kubwa village near Damboa town at about 14:15 hours.
The police source who was not authorised to speak on the matter, said: “They (Boko Haram) ambushed the policemen who were led by the Area Commander of Biu.
“The terrorists succeeded in killing policeman and inflicting injuries on many other including an officer.”
Another police source revealed that the convoy ambushed was led by the acting Biu Divisional Police Officer.
He said he was leading a team of nine policemen with some suspects and complainants from Biu to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Maiduguri.
He said they were ambushed at Ajunwa village, near Damboa and subsequently taken to the General Hospital in Damboa for treatment.
However, the federal government has revealed that the trove of materials captured from the Boko Haram terrorist group indicated the strategy of the North-east of Nigeria based group , towards dominating the media space by propagating a perverted version of Shariah law and giving the impression that it is still holding territory.
In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, appealed to the public to be vigilant, while pleading with the media not to unwittingly provide the terrorists with the oxygen of publicity that they desperately need.
Mohammed said the propaganda strategy crafted in Arabic, was discovered from the materials left behind by Boko Haram Terrorists after they were routed from their last stronghold in Sambisa late last year.
