Death toll from Maiduguri bomb blasts hit 100
Death toll from Maiduguri bomb blasts hit 100
Nigerian Pilot, 09 Mar 2015
URL: http://nigerianpilot.com/death-toll-from-maiduguri-bomb-blasts-hit-100/
The casualty figure from the serial bomb blasts in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital at the weekend, rose from 60 to 100, yesterday.
Residents, security operatives and doctors confirmed to Nigerian Pilot that more bodies were recovered from scenes of the explosion.
The death toll was initially put at 60 but sources said that more bodies were recovered at the scene of the explosion which occurred at Tashan Bama area of Maiduguri metropolis.
Suicide bombers had on Saturday hit two major markets in Maiduguri and Borno Express Motor Park where three policemen, two Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC officials, a traffic warden and 17 people were killed.
A police officer (name withheld) who escaped the attack at the motor park but lost three of his colleagues, said: “We recovered 17 identified dead bodies, while others were dismembered before conveying them to State Specialists Hospital.
“We just dropped the bodies and I also received a distress call from Bama Road that an explosion occurred near the University of Maiduguri.
“Our men of the Anti-bomb Disposal Squad were sent to the area and normalcy has returned to the area but many people have died,” he stated.
Hospital sources said more bodies were still being brought to their morgues, adding that the figure has risen drastically.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Power, Hon. Mohammed Wakil, has condemned the bombing of civilian targets in Maiduguri on Saturday by insurgents and called on local and international human rights organisations to document and indict Boko Haram leaders for crime against humanity.
In a condolence message he personally signed over the bombing of Monday Market, Fish Market in Tashan Baga, as well as Borno Express Motor Park near areas of Bulunkuntu, the minister described the incidents as crime against humanity which the International Criminal Court should take up without further delay.
“The targets of Boko Haram are women, children and the elderly. Bombing civilian targets is a crime against humanity. I call on Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch and other similar groups to deploy resources towards documenting for indictments the leaders of Boko Haram. Boko Haram leaders should face trial at the ICC,” the minister said.
He commiserated with the families and victims and appealed to residents to be extra-vigilant as defeated insurgents might have infiltrated the metropolis.
“We must be extra-vigilant. We must be on guard at all times. All suspicious movements and objects should be reported to the police and other security personnel, immediately,” Wakil said.
Residents, security operatives and doctors confirmed to Nigerian Pilot that more bodies were recovered from scenes of the explosion.
The death toll was initially put at 60 but sources said that more bodies were recovered at the scene of the explosion which occurred at Tashan Bama area of Maiduguri metropolis.
Suicide bombers had on Saturday hit two major markets in Maiduguri and Borno Express Motor Park where three policemen, two Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC officials, a traffic warden and 17 people were killed.
A police officer (name withheld) who escaped the attack at the motor park but lost three of his colleagues, said: “We recovered 17 identified dead bodies, while others were dismembered before conveying them to State Specialists Hospital.
“We just dropped the bodies and I also received a distress call from Bama Road that an explosion occurred near the University of Maiduguri.
“Our men of the Anti-bomb Disposal Squad were sent to the area and normalcy has returned to the area but many people have died,” he stated.
Hospital sources said more bodies were still being brought to their morgues, adding that the figure has risen drastically.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Power, Hon. Mohammed Wakil, has condemned the bombing of civilian targets in Maiduguri on Saturday by insurgents and called on local and international human rights organisations to document and indict Boko Haram leaders for crime against humanity.
In a condolence message he personally signed over the bombing of Monday Market, Fish Market in Tashan Baga, as well as Borno Express Motor Park near areas of Bulunkuntu, the minister described the incidents as crime against humanity which the International Criminal Court should take up without further delay.
“The targets of Boko Haram are women, children and the elderly. Bombing civilian targets is a crime against humanity. I call on Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch and other similar groups to deploy resources towards documenting for indictments the leaders of Boko Haram. Boko Haram leaders should face trial at the ICC,” the minister said.
He commiserated with the families and victims and appealed to residents to be extra-vigilant as defeated insurgents might have infiltrated the metropolis.
“We must be extra-vigilant. We must be on guard at all times. All suspicious movements and objects should be reported to the police and other security personnel, immediately,” Wakil said.