Borno’s bomb attacks horrifying – UN chief
18 killed, 42 injured as suicide bombers attack crowd
From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Mohamed Malick Fall has described the weekend multiple explosions in Borno town that killed 18 people as horrifying.
Fall in a statement on Sunday said the UN strongly condemned the attacks targeted at civilian population at wedding and funeral parties in the town of Gwoza, located some 129kms to Maiduguri, capital of Borno State.
“I am horrified by this attack on civilian populations and condemn such acts in the strongest terms,” he said. He expressed his solidarity with the government of Nigeria, Borno State and families of the affected persons.
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No fewer than 18 people died and about 42 other persons injured as female suicide bombers detonated explosives at a wedding party and funeral event in Gwoza on Saturday evening.
The female bombers rushed into the congregation attending the funeral prayers (Janazah) at about 3pm on Saturday, causing explosions that killed 18 according to the Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Barkindo Saidu.
“The first bomb blast in Gwoza occurred, detonated by a female suicide bomber in the midst of the marriage ceremony celebration. It affected more than 30 persons with various levels of injuries and instant death,” he disclosed in his first situation report on the incident.
He said another female teenage bomber detonated the third explosion near the hospital as rescue of victims of the earlier blasts was going on by emergency workers.
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“So far, 18 deaths comprise children, adult male, females, and pregnant women,” he disclosed.
He said 19 critically injured victims were evacuated from Gwoza to Maiduguri on Saturday while the other 23 were scheduled for evacuation later, putting the total figure of wounded persons at 42.
