Michael Olugbode

A bomb attack on Biu main market has claimed five lives and injured 10 others, eyewitnesses have said.

One of the eyewitnesses, Yusuf Gunda, a member of the youth vigilante group in the town, which is in the southern part of Borno state, told our correspondent on phone that a woman was caught trying to set up the explosive device very close to the market at about 3:30 pm on Thursday.

The youth and traders around the area "were not too sure what she was trying to plant as such incident was alien to them, but they suspected that it could be an explosive device. As they told her to carry what she dropped, the explosive device was detonated and it killed five persons, including the woman."

Gunda said 10 other persons were injured in the explosion, and that the 10persons were taken to the Biu General Hospital to receive treatment.

He said the market was visited by security agents to ascertain the level of destruction, and that things are back to normal as people who were initially apprehensive have started going about their normal activities.

A source at the hospital, who spoke anonymously to our correspondent, confirmed that ten persons were brought in with different degrees of injury.

Several attempts to get the Public Relations Officer of the Police in the state, Gideon Jibrin was not successful as his mobile was not reachable.