Boko Haram Unleashes Suicide Bombers on Maiduguri, Kills 16

• UN disputes FG’s claims, says three LGs remain occupied in Borno

Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

Boko Haram on Sunday night unleashed suicide bombers on Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, leading to the deaths of 16 persons and 18 others sustaining injuries.

The suicide bombers, who were unleashed at two locations in the troubled town, claimed 16 lives, according to the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Damien Chukwu.

Chukwu, in a text message to journalists, said the attacks happened at the notorious Muna garage area, where many had been killed in the past by suicide bombers, and at Muna Dalti.

The text of the police commissioner read: “On 22-10-2017 at about 2020hrs, a male suicide bomber detonated an IED strapped on him at Muna garage killing himself and thirteen persons, with five injured.
“In another development at Muna Dalti, two female suicide bombers detonated the same killing themselves and injuring thirteen.”
Chukwu revealed that the injured persons were conveyed to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) for treatment while the corpses of the dead were evacuated from the scenes of the attacks.
He said: “EOD/other police teams have been deployed to sanitize scenes & environs.

“In all, 16 persons were killed while 18 others were injured in the three explosions.”
In a related development, the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian (OCHA) at the weekend disputed the claims by the Nigerian government that it has contained the Islamist terror sect and recovered all local government areas once occupied by the sect.

It said in a report that at least three local government areas in Nigeria were still cut off due to the presence of Boko Haram insurgents, reported online news site, Premium Times.
The claim came weeks after the military command in North-east Nigeria announced that no part of Borno State was under the control of the deadly group.

But the UN said despite efforts by the military, some locations in Borno, including three whole local government areas, remained inaccessible to aid workers as a result of the threat posed by the Boko Haram sect.
It said Boko Haram hostilities that slowed down due to the rainy season might increase in the coming months.
“Insecurity, the presence of mines, improvised explosive devices, and unexploded ordinances had continued to slow down the response of humanitarian agencies in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States,” said OCHA’s monthly report for September 2017, titled, “North-East Nigeria: Humanitarian Situation Update.”