Two Persons Killed, Six Injured As Another Suicide Bomber Rocked Maiduguri

SAN FRANCISCO, February 21, (THEWILL) - A suicide bomber was killed in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, Thursday, as he was consumed by his own bomb as he attacked a patrol vehicle of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the town.

The blast, which also killed another person and seriously injured six others, including three soldiers, also destroyed parts of the popular Gamboru market which was razed by the raging inferno.

It was however gathered that the other dead person and the three injured persons were hit by stray bullets from the soldiers who shot sporadically to ward off further attack on them.

Eyewitnesses said angry soldiers who stormed the scene of the blast were seen setting fire on all the stalls and buildings in the area, which led to burning of a filling station and large part of Gamboru market.

Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, was the first to break the news amidst tears when he was hosting a courtesy call paid on him by the Northern Governor's Forum committee on reconciliation, healing and security.

Shettima who paid host to the group at about 1pm said: “As we are talking right now on how to put heads together to end this low level insurgency bedeviling us, Gamboru market about five kilometres away is on fire as a result of an attack.”

A top security, personnel confirmed to journalists on phone that the attack was targeted at a JTF patrol vehicle, but none of the soldiers on board died as a result of the explosion.

'It is another bad day for us today, barely 24 hours after our men were attacked by another suicide bomber,” he said.

JTF spokesman, Lt. Col Sagir Musa, could not be reached to ascertain the level of damage at the time of filing this report.