The police confirmed the death of five persons in a Boko Haram suicide attack at a motor park in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Wednesday morning.
The Borno State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Victor Izukwu, in a message to our correspondent said, “Two vehicles were involved in the blast, the first vehicle with registration number JERE 349 XA had all its occupants (four females & the male driver) killed.
“The second vehicle which was very close had five occupants injured but none died as they only sustained varying degrees of injuries.”
He said the occupants of the second vehicle were lucky to escape death as they ran out the vehicle as soon as the explosion occurred.
The police spokesman said the incident occurred at about 8:30am and that it involved a Volkswagen Golf car.
He said, “There was an IED explosion in a vehicle with number plate JERE 349 XA, bearing five passengers (four females and a male driver) by Muna along the Maiduguri /Gamboru Ngala Road.
“The explosion occurred when the taxi was attempting to join the convoy of other vehicles heading to Gamboru town.”
But a separate message by the spokesman of the National Emergency Management Authority, Sani Datti, claimed that eight persons lost their lives and 15 others were injured.
He said both the dead and injured persons were evacuated to the State Specialist Hospital and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital in Maiduguri.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said the bomb blast recorded in Maiduguri earlier in the day had further strengthened his administration’s resolve to completely neutralise Boko Haram.
Buhari said this in a message on his twitter handle, @MBuhari.
While sending his condolences to the families of the victims, the President said he was disheartened by the news of the blast.
He wrote, “I am disheartened by the news of the bomb blast in Maiduguri. My condolences to the families of the victims and the Borno State Government.
“Unable to hold territory, the severely degraded terrorist group now occasionally resorts to cowardly attacks on soft targets.
“I commend our military for their unflagging efforts. This attack has further strengthened our resolve to completely neutralise Boko Haram.”
NEMA stated that 15 others were injured by the blast and that victims were rushed to different hospitals in the state.
Datti told one of our correspondents that emergency workers from NEMA and other organisations were immediately sent to the scene of the incident to assist in rescue operations.
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