Thirty-one persons died yesterday in two separate suicide bomb attacks in Potiskum, Yobe State, and Kano with several others injured.
The Vokswagen Sharon bus that conveyed the two male suicide bombers to Kano line bus station
An eye witness account on the Potiskum attack said a female suicide bomber alighted from a tricycle, opposite Tashan Dan Borno motor park in the town, and mixed with passengers at the park located along Kano Road, killing 15 persons on the spot, while four others died before reaching hospital for treatment due to excessive bleeding.
A nursing officer at the hospital who pleaded anonymity, revealed that 15 dead bodies were initially deposited in the mortuary, while four other dead bodies were brought in a few minutes after. Forty nine others who were injured in the blast are in the hospital.
“This is the worst suicide bombing so far recorded since the commencement of the insurgency as it has recorded 19 deaths so far, while 49 persons are lying critically ill in the hospital and there is a high possibility that the death toll will rise, considering the nature of the injuries they sustained,” the nursing officer said.
Suicide bombing has become rampant in Potiskum, the commercial nerve centre of Yobe State, north east Nigeria.
A female suicide bomber had last Sunday hit the Potiskum GSM market, killing five and injuring several others.
12 killed in Kano blast
In Kano, 12 persons died, while five others sustained various degrees of injuries as two male suicide bombers hit a bus station in the city.
Kano State Police Commissioner; Ibrahim Idris, told reporters that the the incident occurred around 3.00pm when the two male bombers were conveyed into the station in a Vokswagen Sharon bus, posing as passengers.
The police boss said the bombers detonated the bomb, shortly after mingling with motor park officials conducting businesses in the park located opposite the headquarters of defunct Bank of the North, on the fringe of the strategic Zaria Road.
Idris said: “We heard a blast at Kano line bus station located at Kofar Nasarawa area by 3.00pm and preliminary investigation indicated that two suicide bombers who were conveyed to the station in a Sharon bus, were behind this dastardly attack.”
Idris stated that three other vehicles were razed during the attack, pointing out that the remains of the victims had been deposited in the morgue.
Yesterday’s bus station attack in Kano is the first outside a predominantly Christian quarters since the commercial city was hit by insurgents January 20, 2012.
The police commissioner revealed that the injured were taken to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital for attention.
He disclosed that investigation had commenced, adding that he had ordered security beef up in the city.
The incident triggered anger in the city as a mob identified and supervised the cremation of the two suicide bombers, while security agents appealed for calm.
Jonathan condemns bombing of soft targets
Reacting to the attacks, President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the resort by Boko Haram to the bombing of soft targets in parts of Nigeria, in the wake of pressure being piled on them by Nigerian troops and their multinational allies of areas formerly controlled by the sect.
A statement signed, yesterday, by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, said President Jonathan commiserated with all families who lost loved ones in the bombings which continued yesterday with attacks on Kano and Potiskum.
“The President shares the grief of all the bereaved families and is deeply saddened by the continued loss of many innocent lives at the hands of misguided and desperate fanatics who are now feeling the heat of the intense counter-insurgency operation by the Nigerian Armed Forces,” the statement said.
The President further assured all Nigerians and “the people of the North Eastern states in particular that the days of mourning victims of incessant terrorist attacks in the country will soon be over as the tide has now definitely turned against Boko Haram.
“President Jonathan further assures the people of Nigeria that the gallant, courageous and patriotic officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces, supported with new platforms, equipment and logistics provided by the Federal Government will carry the ongoing operations against the terrorists through to a successful conclusion in the shortest possible time.”
PDP condemns attacks
Similarly, the national leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, condemned the bombings and called for the prosecution of the culprits.
In a statement signed, yesterday, by National Publicity Secretary, Chief Oilsa Metuh, the party said it was deeply saddened by the news of the attacks in the two cities, which claimed the lives of harmless citizens going about their legitimate endeavours.
“Indeed, the PDP mourns. We are deeply pained by these attacks on our citizens. Our hearts and prayers go out to the bereaved and the wounded. We share in their pain and pray that those behind their grief must not escape justice.”
The Vokswagen Sharon bus that conveyed the two male suicide bombers to Kano line bus station
An eye witness account on the Potiskum attack said a female suicide bomber alighted from a tricycle, opposite Tashan Dan Borno motor park in the town, and mixed with passengers at the park located along Kano Road, killing 15 persons on the spot, while four others died before reaching hospital for treatment due to excessive bleeding.
A nursing officer at the hospital who pleaded anonymity, revealed that 15 dead bodies were initially deposited in the mortuary, while four other dead bodies were brought in a few minutes after. Forty nine others who were injured in the blast are in the hospital.
“This is the worst suicide bombing so far recorded since the commencement of the insurgency as it has recorded 19 deaths so far, while 49 persons are lying critically ill in the hospital and there is a high possibility that the death toll will rise, considering the nature of the injuries they sustained,” the nursing officer said.
Suicide bombing has become rampant in Potiskum, the commercial nerve centre of Yobe State, north east Nigeria.
A female suicide bomber had last Sunday hit the Potiskum GSM market, killing five and injuring several others.
12 killed in Kano blast
In Kano, 12 persons died, while five others sustained various degrees of injuries as two male suicide bombers hit a bus station in the city.
Kano State Police Commissioner; Ibrahim Idris, told reporters that the the incident occurred around 3.00pm when the two male bombers were conveyed into the station in a Vokswagen Sharon bus, posing as passengers.
The police boss said the bombers detonated the bomb, shortly after mingling with motor park officials conducting businesses in the park located opposite the headquarters of defunct Bank of the North, on the fringe of the strategic Zaria Road.
Idris said: “We heard a blast at Kano line bus station located at Kofar Nasarawa area by 3.00pm and preliminary investigation indicated that two suicide bombers who were conveyed to the station in a Sharon bus, were behind this dastardly attack.”
Idris stated that three other vehicles were razed during the attack, pointing out that the remains of the victims had been deposited in the morgue.
Yesterday’s bus station attack in Kano is the first outside a predominantly Christian quarters since the commercial city was hit by insurgents January 20, 2012.
The police commissioner revealed that the injured were taken to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital for attention.
He disclosed that investigation had commenced, adding that he had ordered security beef up in the city.
The incident triggered anger in the city as a mob identified and supervised the cremation of the two suicide bombers, while security agents appealed for calm.
Jonathan condemns bombing of soft targets
Reacting to the attacks, President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the resort by Boko Haram to the bombing of soft targets in parts of Nigeria, in the wake of pressure being piled on them by Nigerian troops and their multinational allies of areas formerly controlled by the sect.
A statement signed, yesterday, by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, said President Jonathan commiserated with all families who lost loved ones in the bombings which continued yesterday with attacks on Kano and Potiskum.
“The President shares the grief of all the bereaved families and is deeply saddened by the continued loss of many innocent lives at the hands of misguided and desperate fanatics who are now feeling the heat of the intense counter-insurgency operation by the Nigerian Armed Forces,” the statement said.
The President further assured all Nigerians and “the people of the North Eastern states in particular that the days of mourning victims of incessant terrorist attacks in the country will soon be over as the tide has now definitely turned against Boko Haram.
“President Jonathan further assures the people of Nigeria that the gallant, courageous and patriotic officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces, supported with new platforms, equipment and logistics provided by the Federal Government will carry the ongoing operations against the terrorists through to a successful conclusion in the shortest possible time.”
PDP condemns attacks
Similarly, the national leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, condemned the bombings and called for the prosecution of the culprits.
In a statement signed, yesterday, by National Publicity Secretary, Chief Oilsa Metuh, the party said it was deeply saddened by the news of the attacks in the two cities, which claimed the lives of harmless citizens going about their legitimate endeavours.
“Indeed, the PDP mourns. We are deeply pained by these attacks on our citizens. Our hearts and prayers go out to the bereaved and the wounded. We share in their pain and pray that those behind their grief must not escape justice.”
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