Suicide bomber kills 10 at Borno abbattoir as another kills self in Biu

MAIDUGURI—A Boko  Haram suicide bomber yesterday sneaked into the Maiduguri Abattoir at Cattle Market (Kasuwan Shanu) killing 10 people and injuring scores of others.

The incident occurred at the peak of trading at about 1:25 pm when the market was crowded with traders and buyers.

This is coming less than 24 hours when a suicide bomber who attempted to sneak into Biu, a large town in the southern part of the state was accosted by men of the civilian JTF during a routine check.

However, the suicide bomber reportedly detonated the explosives he was carrying, killing only himself, when he realized that he would be thoroughly interrogated on getting to the check-point.

Similarly, residents of Maiduguri metropolis had a sleepless night as sounds of gunshots and explosives rocked the city overnight as the military engaged some terrorists who attempted to invade the city through Moramti and Dala villages.

The Boko Haram militants who were said to be in a convoy of Toyota Hilux vehicles laden with Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, Rapid Propelled Grenades, RPGs, and anti-aircraft guns attacked Moronti village near Maiduguri in Borno State and killed five people, before soldiers repelled the insurgents at 2pm yesterday.

bokoThe gunmen, according to Hamisu Abba, a resident, sneaked and crossed into the village through Ngadabul River to launch the attacks by firing several grenades into residential houses, thus killing  five people.

“Some of the grenades fell on some of the houses yesterday night killing five people. They were sleeping in the open, when the grenades fell on them,” said one Abba who spoke on how his neighbours met their untimely death.

He however noted that the militants could have overrun Maiduguri, if there were no trenches around the Nigerian Army 333 Artillery premises near Moronti.

It was also learnt that as  repulsion of militants continued in the night, some villagers fled to neighbouring areas like Gomari and Ajillari for safety.

“It was the trenches around the military barracks of Giwa and Maimalari and the 333 Artillery near the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, base that prevented the terrorists from causing more havoc to  lives and property in the area.

“Most of us were asleep after midnight yesterday; when we started hearing gunshots and firings of grenades from Ajillari, near the river bank of Ngadabul. Few minutes later, one of our neighbours lost two family members from grenade shots in his compound, while three others were also killed at

the village fringe, two kilometres from Ajillari,” Kaumi Fugu, a village head in Moronti said.

The village imam, Mallam Yunus Mirgwi also told Vanguard yesterday that all the five victims of the attack were buried  yesterday morning, according to Islamic injunctions.

“By 1.45am, troops in patrol vehicles and trucks, swiftly moved in towards Moronti along the Maiduguri-Damturu road, and commenced the repulsion of the insurgents by firing sporadic grenades and artillery shelling that lasted for over an hour,” said Mirgwi on repulsion of terrorists, he said.