Buhari calls for vigilance
Troops smash insurgents’ rockets factory in Borno
By Bashir Mohammed, Kano, Abdullahi M. Gulloma and Musa Bologi, Abuja
At least 50 persons have been confirmed dead in different bomb blasts, which occurred in Kano, Kano state, and Yola, Adamawa state yesterday and Tuesday respectively.
Eight others reportedly sustained various degrees of injury in the blast that rocked the famous Kano GSM village located near the NUJ press Centre, in Kano
A breakdown of the figure showed that two people were killed in Kano while the number of Yola casualties was put at 33.
But an eye witness account claimed that more than 15 dead bodies were seen at the scene of the blast in a pool of blood, while the dead and the injured were evacuated to the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital in Kano.
The Kano blast happened barely nine months after the failed bombing that led to the death of a young female suicide bomber at the Umar Ibn el Kattab Jumuat Mosque, along Zaria road in the Kano metropolis.
Confirming the casualty figures shortly after inspecting the scene of the blast, the Kano state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Muhammad Musa Katsina, said the two female suicide bombers, alighted from a Sharon Space Wagon vehicle conveying six passengers.
According to him, as soon as they were off the vehicle, they quickly sneaked into the sprawling GSM market and detonated the explosives, a scenario that took every trader in the market completely off-guard.
The CP however stated that the police were intensifying effort to track the remaining passengers in the vehicle, assuring that his men would never relent in their effort to fish out the fleeing culprits.
He said: “Since the incident had just happened, our operations are ongoing, we are really determined to scout all the nooks and crannies of the city in our surveillance operation to get the culprits.
“I am advising the general public to keep a constant vigil in markets and places of worship, most especially now that a tragedy of this magnitude happened. With vigilance and extra caution, we can be able to minimise the risk of falling into the hands of ruthless miscreants.”
Commiserating with victims and their relations yesterday, President Muhammadu Buhari called for increased vigilance among the civilian populace to help ward-off terrorists’ attacks on soft targets around the country.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President condemned the twin blasts in both Yola and Kano.
Buhari condoled with the families of the victims and the government and people of Adamawa and Kano states.
He reassured Nigerians that the present administration was determined to wipe out insurgency in the country and bring all perpetrators of these heinous crimes against humanity to justice.
Meanwhile, the Adamawa state government has banned all forms of night markets throughout the state as from 6.00 pm as part of efforts geared towards protecting the lives and property in the state.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the state commissioner for information, Comrade Ahmed Sajoh, said the decision became necessary in view of the increasing activities of the insurgents in the state.
He explained that, apart from banning night markets, there will also be restrictions on relaxation centres with additional security measures to ensure the safety of lives and property in the state.
According to him, the state government would also engage bank managers and petrol stations in the state with a view to taking other security measures, following the influx of people, especially at petrol stations and ATM points.
Sajor disclosed that 33 persons were confirmed dead in the Yola bomb blast, including 7 women and 8 children.
In a related development, the troops of 111 Special Forces Battalion, 7 Division Garrison Nigerian Army, have smashed a rocket factory belonging to Boko Haram, at Jamrari Borno state.
A statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, said the “development has put paid to the much touted ability of the terrorists to fabricate rockets and their launchers using rudimentary materials.”
“This has further crippled the terrorists and greatly emboldened the troops in carrying out more offensive actions against the terrorists till they are defeated,” he said.
The Army spokesman said the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai, had been in constant communication with the troops and commended the troops for act and other similar feats, and encouraged them to do more, as the terrorists are on the verge of being defeated.
Meanwhile, advancing troops of 154 Task Force Battalion of 29 Task Force Brigade yesterday cleared Boko Haram terrorists’ camp at Matali, Damboa local government area also of Borno state.
The army said several members of the terrorists group were killed during the operation, while some weapons as well as the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were recovered.
