Tuesday, June 03, 2014

Tragedy in Adamawa: Bomb Blast Kills Dozens in Mubi, Boko Haram Opens Fire in Madagali
Damage from Mubi blast in Adamawa State, Nigeria on June 1, 2014.
Nigerian National Accord

A powerful explosion Sunday evening rocked the commercial border town of Mubi town in Mubi South Local Government area of Adamawa State with sources among local officials and residents saying that dozens were feared killed.

One source said he saw over 30 corpses at the scene.

Military sources also confirmed the bomb explosion Sunday evening, saying that a total of 18 persons had so far been reported dead while 19 wounded have been evacuated to hospitals for treatment.

A suspect who was said to have been identified with the car used in conveying the bomb device has been arrested by troops in the area. He is being interrogated while further investigation is ongoing.

The blast came in less than 48 hours after a letter purportedly written by suspected members of the dreaded Boko Haram threatening to attack the Adamawa state University (ADSU)Mubi, was discovered

Reports from Mubi indicated that the explosion occurred at about 6:45pm near a Primary school at Anguwar Kabang area of Mubi which is one of the major social hubs of the town that harbors a drinking joint, and a TV viewing center.

Details of casualties remained sketchy as at the time of filing this report, as residents were rushing home to beat the curfew imposed on the town from 7pm when the explosion occurred.

“The explosion is around 6 :45pm in Kabang area where there is concentration of beer palour.

“Security personnel are taking affected people to hospital. But I can’t say the exact casualty”, Ahmad Gude the chairman of Mubi South said.

However, a resident who simply identified himself as David Dauda said he saw several corpses at the scene

‘’ The blast occurred shortly after people are dispersing from a football playing ground. People gathered there to watch a football competition and just few minutes after soldiers patrol vehicle left the place then we heard a blast.

‘’ I saw over 30 dead bodies littering the area, while others were rushed to hospital,’’ said Dauda

The bomb blast has shattered the relative peace enjoyed in the area as no major insurgency attack occurred for about a year now which spurred residents to start agitating for the removal of the 7pm to 5am curfew imposed by the military in the area for over four months.

Since last week, there was heightened tension in the Adamawa State University (ADSU) Mubi as threat letters of an impending attack on the University which allegedly sent some students of the institution packing became public , although the Vice Chancellor Dr Alkasum Abba on Friday said he suspected that the enemies of the University may be behind the threat letters.

When contacted the Public Relations Officer of the Adamawa State Police Command DSP Othman Abubakar confirmed the bomb incident to news men in Yola although he could not reveal the number of those killed or injured.

In a related development, suspected Boko Haram members have again struck at Madagali town on Sunday night.

Locals say that the insurgents struck at major social hubs of the town called anguwar Baraganda and opened fire indiscriminately.

‘’The gunmen struck this night at a major social hubs at Anguwar Baraganda.They sporadically opened fire and for now we cannot ascertain the casualty as people run for their lives,’’ said Mr James Abawu Watharda,the council chairman of Madagali.

NEWSDIARY


Troops arrest Mubi bomb suspect

In recent operational engagements of troops deployed to fight terrorism in North Eastern Nigeria, a key suspect in the terror bomb explosion that rocked the Kabang community in Mubi, Adamawa State on Sunday evening has been arrested by troops who cordoned the area in a swift response to the explosion.

The suspect was nabbed as observant members of the public confirmed sighting him alight from the vehicle used in conveying the explosive device that was detonated in Kabang shortly before the explosion.

So far, 19 persons wounded in the explosion have been evacuated and are receiving medical attention in hospitals while 18 others have been confirmed dead.

Meanwhile patrol troops have successfully repelled an ambush in Buratai community in Biu, a town in Borno state. The troops who fell into the ambush laid by the terrorists while on  patrol, engaged the terrorists in a decisive fire fight killing four of them and capturing one alive.

Also in Kawuri in Borno state, troops in a patrol have killed five terrorists in a shootout. The troops also captured two AK 47 rifles and two vehicles used by the terrorists.

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