Locals Blame Military For Borno Bomb Blast

Locals Blame Military For Borno Bomb Blast

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some locals alleged that the deaths arose from a misfiring by the Nigerian Army’s artillery. The army, however, denied the claim.

Buba Shettima, a witness, said two separate bomb blasts occurred in Shuwari and Abachari.

“The whole of Damboa was shaken  by the unfortunate incident. We all scampered for safety as the  blasts were  coming from different directions. There were  bodies everywhere.

“We suspected that the many deaths recorded were a result of the  military artillery,” he said.

Mohammed Hassan, another local from the area who corroborated the claim, said: “At about 8:30 pm of on Saturday night,  an attack suspected to be from an artillery killed 31 innocent people  in Damboa Shehuri and Abachari. The attacks came from two separate directions. My house was among some of the houses destroyed.”

However, Rogers Nicholas, commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, denied the claim, saying the killings were caused by  suicide attacks and not military artillery.

“There  was nothing like an attack from the military artillery. You can see the pictures of six female bombers who detonated their explosives and as a result, 20 persons were killed while others were injured,” he said.

Mr Nicholas, a major general, urged people to disregard the claim that the victims were killed by the military and not by suicide bombers.

The District Head of Damboa, Modu-Zannah Maina, who described the incident as “shocking and disturbing” said the attack was perpetrated by female suicide bombers.

Mr Maina lamented that a lot of people that were affected were mostly children adding that many victims were  injured.

“We are here in this hospital to check our people affected by Saturday’s bomb blasts. So far, the victims have been responding to treatment,” he said.

The Borno State government had on Thursday announced a half day vehicular curfew – from 6 p.m. to 12 noon on Friday – to prevent Boko Haram attacks. The curfew restricted Islamic worshipers to pray at Eid prayer grounds near their homes.

The Sallah celebration went on without any ugly incident in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, as well as other major communities in the state.

The Damboa incident came as an isolated incident that eventually marred the celebration.

Damboa is the closest local government area to Sambisa forest where Boko Haram used to have its largest and strongest fortress. The community is one of the most affected by the insurgency in Borno State.