The Borno State Police Command has said tragedy was averted yesterday when a suicide bomber heading to the market mistakenly detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) killing himself alone.
Police Commissioner Damian Chukwu, who confirmed the incident in a statement in Maiduguri, the state capital, said the incident occurred on Saturday at 7:20 p.m. at the Monday Market general area.
The police chief said the bomber was heading to the market where he saw a crowd to detonate the IED strapped on his body.
He added: โThe male suicide bomber sighted massive presence of police and other security deployment at Oando filling station near Post Office and hurriedly detonated the explosives, killing himself alone.
โMore policemen have been deployed in most parts of the state capital and other flash points in the state.
โThis is to ensure security of lives and property, especially in the remaining days of the Ramadan fast and as Eid el-Fitr approaches.โ
Chukwu said the police Explosive Ordinance Device team was quickly deployed to comb the area and ensure it was safe.
Also, the Adamawa Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Mr Ahmad Sajoh, has confirmed the death of a boy with two others injured in an explosion in Mubi town.
Sajoh said in Yola yesterday that the explosion, suspected to be from an Improvise Explosive Device (IED), occurred at a scrap materials gathering point in Kabang area of the town.
He said: โItโs not a suicide attack, as being speculated. It involved three children gathering scrapped metals.
โOne of the boys, Saidu Ahmed, picked up the device which exploded immediately, killing him and injuring his two friends who are currently receiving treatment at the Mubi General Hospital.
โParents of the affected children have been identified.โ
He called for for more vigilance by the public and the need to caution children against picking strange objects to avoid a repeat of the incident.
Also, spokesman of Adamawa Police Command, Othman Abubakar, a Superintendent of Police (SP), said the command was working on a theory that the explosive might have been given to the children by somebody to take to the metal gathering point.
Mubi witnessed a twin blast by suspected suicide bombers last month resulting in the killing of over 20 people.
