Four civilians, five suicide bombers killed in Borno fresh attacks

MAIDUGURI—No fewer than four persons, including member of Civilian JTF, three male and two female suicide bombers were on Sunday killed in simultaneous attacks in Muna Garrage and Kaleri wards of Maiduguri metropolis, Borno State. The separate blasts which took place about 10:20 p.m., and 10:45p.m., caused fears in the state, especially now that the military had claimed that it has decimated Boko Haram terrorists, after capturing Sambisa Forest, which was declared stronghold of insurgents. These attacks came barely 12 hours after some terrorists attacked a military base in Buni Yadi general area of Yobe State, which led to the killing of five soldiers, including a Captain. Army releases 1,250 cleared Boko Haram suspects Meanwhile, the Army, yesterday, said it has released 1,250 Boko Haram suspects who have been cleared of no links with insurgency. Brig.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu, General Officer Commanding, GOC, 7 Division of the army, disclosed this when the Head of Sub Delegation of ICRC, Mr Beat Mosimann, visited him at the Maimalari cantonment in Maiduguri, Borno State. Ezugwu said the cleared suspects were released in about seven batches after being cleared of having no link with Boko Haram. …warns of new method by Boko Haram to attack homes Meanwhile, the army has alerted residents of Maiduguri and its environs of new antics of Boko Haram terrorists, warning residents to be wary of strange persons knocking at their doors. It also said the curfew from 10 p.m., daily was in force, warning that defaulters would be prosecuted accordingly. On the attacks, a resident of Kaleri, Mallam Ali Gujja, told our correspondent that the Maiduguri attack in Kaleri occurred when two female suicide bombers sneaked into the community located behind University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and pretended to be Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, looking for a place to spend the night. “The suicide bombers disguised as IDPs. One of them approached the house of my neighbour and knocked on the gate. “Unfortunately, a daughter of a Civil Defence Corps, Hassan Mandara, went out to open the gate. When she opened it, the female suicide bomber told her that she was an IDP looking for a place to pass the night and when the daughter of the Civil Defence Corps told her that they don’t have an extra room to accommodate her, the suicide bomber quickly hugged her, detonated the explosives wrapped on her body which killed both of them instantly. “Also, another female suicide bomber approached a house in Kaleri and knocked on the gate, but when the occupants refused to open the gate, she detonated her explosives, killing only herself,” Gujja said. Also, the Muna Barrage male suicide bombers succeeded in killing three persons, including a member of Civilian JTF (names withheld). Meanwhile, rescue workers from national and state emergency management agencies have evacuated corpses of the suspects and victims to the mortuaries. Led by Chairman of Borno State Emergency Management Agency, BOSEMA, Satomi Ahmed, in conjunction with NEMA, 12 bodies were evacuated, yesterday. Among the corpses were that of two suicide bombers at Muna Garage and two other suicide bombers killed at Kaleri temporary settlement, behind University of Maiduguri.