— Soldiers kill 450 insurgents in Borno
—Militia murders 50 in Kaduna villages
By Bashir Mohammed, Kano, Sadiq Abubakar, Maiduguri, Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna, Abdullahi Gulloma and Chizoba Ogbeche, Abuja
The state of insecurity in Nigeria worsened yesterday with terror attacks recorded in Kano and Kaduna states, leading to huge losses of lives, while a shootout in Borno led to the killing of hundreds of Boko Haram members.
At least 15 people were confirmed dead with scores injured following a bomb blast that rocked the new site of the Federal College of Education (FCOE), Kano, yesterday.
Witnesses, however, put the death toll at about 30 persons.
The college is situated along BUK Road in the metropolis.
Speaking to newsmen at the scene of the blast, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aderenle Shinaba, said the bomb was detonated by two male suicide bombers who happened to be among the dead.
He said two AK47 rifles were recovered from the insurgents who, after launching the deadly onslaught, took to their heels but were pursued by a team of security operatives.
He said: “We are not going to rest on our oars as we are hell-bent on calling the bluff of anyone who has run foul of the law.
“We are not sleeping, taken into cognisance the uncertainty of the situation. The issue of fighting insurgency is that it has to be confronted with vigour.”
The commissioner stated that the bomb was detonated close to a lecture theatre at the time students were attending lectures. The suicide bombers took the students off guard. Sporadic gunshots were heard within the vicinity of the college.
He further revealed that the insurgents mooted the idea of fleeing after realising the danger that with security men on the prowl they were destined to meet their waterloo, adding that investigations were in progress with a view to unraveling what might have led to the bombing.
Our correspondent, who was at the scene of the tragedy, reports that the area was cordoned off by a combined team of army and the police, while students of the college had scampered for safety.
An eyewitness said the casualty figure was higher than the one officially given by the police as the ferocity of the attack was unprecedented.
In Abuja, the Police Force confirmed the incident, insisting that 15 persons, including the two suspected terrorists, were killed while 35 others were injured in the explosion at the COE.
A press statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) acting Commissioner of Police (CP) Emmanuel Ojukwu said: “Today, September 17, 2014, at about 3:30 p.m., two armed men detonated improvised explosive devices at the lecture hall of Federal College of Education, Zaria Road, Kano.
“Thereafter, they began sporadic shooting outside the premises. Police team from a nearby Tactical Operations Point responded and shot dead the two insurgents. Their AK 47 rifles were recovered.
“On examination of the scene of the explosion, 15 dead bodies were recovered, while 34 injured were taken to hospital for treatment.”
The spokesperson further stated: “Police has sealed the scene of crime and commenced investigation.”
In his reaction, President Goodluck Jonathan commiserated with citizens and residents of Kano state on the loss of lives sustained during the attack.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, Jonathan reassured the people of Kano and all Nigerians that the federal government continues to do all within its powers to further enhance the ability of the Police, Armed Forces and other security agencies to prosecute the war against terrorism to a successful conclusion and provide greater security of lives and property across the country.
The president sympathised with all those who suffered injuries in the attack and commended the officers and men of the Nigerian Police Force who took prompt action to confront the attackers and minimize resultant casualties.
He urged the police and other security agencies to be more alert and proactive in the future to stop terrorist attacks in Kano and other parts of the country.
In another development, at least 450 members of Boko Haram were reportedly killed early on Tuesday and at midnight Wednesday in shoot-outs between the insurgents and soldiers in Borno state.
The insurgents and soldiers from 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri clashed yesterday in Konduga town along Maiduguri-Bama road and Ngamdu town along Maiduguri-Damaturu-Kano road when the sect members resurfaced to attack Konduga in an effort to get access into Maiduguri metropolis.
A top Civilian JTF official in Maiduguri confirmed to Blueprint that at least 150 Boko Haram fighters attempting to come to Maiduguri from Ngamdu, located about 100 kilometers from Maiduguri, were killed by the soldiers, while over 300 insurgents attempting to enter the capital city were also killed by the soldiers.
He said they attempted to attack Konduga from two directions with over 500 fighters when the military fought and prevented them from getting access to Konduga, which is located about 40 kilometres from Maiduguri, killing over 150 before the insurgents retreated.
Our correspondent also gathered that after the insurgents were repelled from Konduga, some of them went through the Sambisa Forest and were heading towards Dikwa when soldiers laid ambush on them, killing over 100, while the rest escaped with bullet wounds.
In another development, over 150 sect members who came up to attack travellers on the Maiduguri-Damaturu-Potiskum road met their waterloo when a detachment of soldiers stationed along the road engaged them, killing all of them through the airspace; their dead bodies reportedly littered the roadside.
The military were yet to give an official statement regarding the fights.
It was, however, said to be a major achievement recorded by the army since the renewed fight against the insurgents in the state.
In Kaduna state, armed militias in the early hours of yesterday killed about 50 persons in some villages located in Sanga local government area of the state, locals told our reporter in separate interviews.
A soldier on internal security operation in the area was among those killed, while some soldiers were wounded along with over 30 locals in the villages.
The militia, sources said, invaded Fadan Karshi, Karshe Daji and Ungwan Ganye around midnight and ransacked the villages; many of those killed were children and women.
The vice-chairman of the local government area, Hon. Bulus Anzah, who also confirmed the incident, said: “In our counting, twelve people were killed in Fadan Karshi, thirty in Fada Karshi Daji, seven others in another community. A pastor and another person were also killed at Ungwar Ganye. Pregnant women, elderly and children were killed while hundreds of residents have fled their homes to unknown destinations.
“The attacks are getting worse every day. Some of the soldiers who attempted to repeal the attack were also injured. Another soldier was killed. Many of the injured are now receiving treatment at the Gwantu General hospital.”
It was gathered that the wounded soldiers were rushed to the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna for urgent medical attention.
As at the time of this report, there was no official clarification from security agencies and the Kaduna state government, but about 10,000 people were said to have been displaced following the attacks.