Again, Three Female Suicide Bombers Strike in Kano, Kill 3, Injure 16

By The Rainbow
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Again, Three Female Suicide Bombers Strike in Kano, Kill 3, Injure 16

NNPC Mega Station,   Hotoro along Maiduguri Road, Kano State

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano,  Jaiyeola Andrews and Adedayo Akinwale



For the third time in five days, there was yet another bomb attack in Kano monday which led to the killing of three persons with over 16 persons injured.

The persons died when a female suicide bomber detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which was strewn around her body at a kerosene queue at NNPC Mega Station, located at Hotoro along Maiduguri Road, Kano State.

Sources said the woman had sneaked into the crowd of kerosene buyers, pretending to also want to buy kerosene.

In Kano, there is a rising incidence of female suicide bombers.

The bomber, who struck at St. Charles Catholic Church in Kano State on Sunday, was also a woman.

Yesterday's explosion came 24 hours after six people including a woman suicide bomber were killed on the eve of Eid el Kabir celebration in Kano on Sunday.

Police Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, confirmed that the explosion happened at about 10:00am, at the NNPC mega filling station, Hotoro Quarters along Maiduguri Road, Kano.

“The suicide bomber and three others have been confirmed dead; eight persons are injured and rushed to the Hospital,” he said.

The bomber may have planned to trigger a conflagration at the mega station but the station did not go ablaze due to the security barricade put in place by policemen on duty at the station.

“Such a situation would have clearly complicated the emergency response,” Mba said, adding that security forces had cordoned off the scene while the Police Bomb Disposal experts are “sweeping” the area.

“Citizens are advised to stay off the scene, be vigilant and report any suspicious person(s) or activities to security,” Mba said.

Saddened by the avalanche of attacks, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday condemned the terrorist attacks on Kano and Adamawa States.

He equally flayed the kidnap of the Lamido of Kolofata in Northern Cameroun, Seini Lamine and the wife of the vice-prime minister of Cameroun.

The condemnation was contained in a statement issued by President Jonathan's spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati.

In the statement, Jonathan described as shocking, callous and reprehensible the multiple bomb blasts that occurred in Kano within 24 hours, and the unrelenting attacks by the Boko Haram at a time the Muslim faithful were observing the holy festival of Eid el Fitri.

The president further noted that the deployment of young women as suicide bombers represents a new low in the inhuman campaign by terrorists and an expression of utter disregard for the dignity of the female gender, as well as a wicked exploitation of the girl-child.

“The President states that the abduction of the Lamido of Kolofata and the wife of the vice-premier of Cameroun clearly underscores the regional security threat that Boko Haram has become.

“President Jonathan urges the security forces to remain resolute, and not be discouraged by the desperation of the agents of evil.

“He believes that with the continued cooperation between Nigeria's security forces and their counterparts in neighbouring countries, the war against terror will surely be won,” the president added.

At another incident, the police in Kano State also confirmed yesterday that a woman pretending to be a customer but had an IED laced around her possession blew herself up with it.

The spokesman of the police in the state, Musa Magaji Majia, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), confirmed that the victims of the blasts were immediately rushed to the hospital.

Majia, who added that seven others were receiving and responding to treatment, pointed out that the command's Anti Bomb Squad personnel and other officers had sealed the scene and were sweeping to ensure no other explosives were left behind.

Yet again, another female suicide bomber struck at the Kano International Trade Fair ground, Zoo road, behind the famous Shoprite Mall in Kano yesterday.

The incident occurred around 2pm when the female suicide bomber attempted to enter the mall. As the security men were searching her at the entrance of the mall, she blew herself up.

An eyewitness account had it that the female bomber, who was said to be 19 years old, lost her life instantly, while six others including two policemen sustained injuries.

Majia confirmed the incident.
The streets of Kano were yesterday deserted as many people were forced to remain indoors, celebrating the Sallah festival.

In the same vein, the Kano Emirate Council yesterday cancelled all the traditional celebrations in the state in deference to the dire security situation in the city.

However, a group believes that all efforts at combating the Boko Haram plague will be futile unless Nigerians begin to show true love to one another.

The socio-political group, Arise Nigeria, yesterday maintained that it is only true love that could defeat the Boko Haram insurgents.

According to the group, the lack of love has made Nigerians to be divided along religions and ethnic lines, thereby making everyone to be living under the fear of threat.

The National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Jasper Johnson, disclosed this in Abuja, saying the occasion was to celebrate Eid-El-Fitri with the adherents of Islam and to begin the nationwide campaign of the group tagged “One Love One Nation”.

Johnson said the basic infrastructure of peace, unity and national development is love, stressing that no nation could grow, transform and develop without understanding and imbibing the culture of love.

He said: “We have identified that one thing that is lacking in this country is love; for too long we have started rumours of hatred and malice; for too long we have exchanged threats and counter-threats among ourselves; for too long we have been divided by religion and ethnicity and by other parochial sentiments.”

 
THISDAY