Suicide bombers kill 37 in Kano, Potiskum

The attacks occurred about two hours apart, and in each the bombers targeted buses that were fully boarded. In Potiskum, Yobe State, the suicide bomber blew himself up at a crowded bus station killing at least 17 people and wounding 31 others.The attack in Kano led to the death of at least 20 people after two […]

The attacks occurred about two hours apart, and in each the bombers targeted buses that were fully boarded.
 In Potiskum, Yobe State, the suicide bomber blew himself up at a crowded bus station killing at least 17 people and wounding 31 others.
The attack in Kano led to the death of at least 20 people after two suicide bombers struck.
The bombing in Potiskum was the second this week. On Sunday, a girl with explosives strapped to her body killed five people and wounded dozens outside a market in the town.
The use of suicide bombers has become a common tactic of the Boko Haram which in the past three weeks began to suffer defeats in a military offensive by Nigeria and neighbours Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
No one claimed responsibility for the Potiskum bombing, but Police Commissioner, Marcus Danladi, said the bomber boarded a 13-seater bus which loaded Kano passengers and detonated an explosive device.
“He disguised as a passenger and detonated the bomb inside a bus that was fully loaded with passengers going to Kano. 13 people including the bomber died on the spot, and the 31 people injured were taken to hospital”, he said.
“Enough metal detectors have been provided to  NURTW officials to check every passenger coming in, but to my surprise the motor parks have become soft targets”, he added.
A source at Potiskum General Hospital said 17 corpses were taken to the hospital morgue while 31 people injured were receiving treatment.
 In Kano two suicide bombers detonated devices at the popular Kano Line motor park in Kofar Nasarawa area.
Transport workers said they counted 20 dead bodies and about 10 persons who were injured.
Our correspondents gathered that the two suicide bombers who pretended to be travellers came to the park around 3.pm and made for a Sharon car loading passengers to Jigawa.
One of the park workers, Sale Isa, said he counted 20 corpses as they were being evacuated to the mortuary.
“Two young boys entered the motor park, one was carrying a bag while the other was observing the park. He dropped the bag in the car that was loading passengers to Jigawa State as they pretended to be travelling too.
“It was shortly after, that a loud bang went off and we all scampered for safety. We cannot ascertain the number of people killed but I counted about 20 corpses.  The boys were set ablaze because they survived the explosion,” Isa who is a security guard at the park said.
A transport worker, Auwal Rabi’u, said all 18 passengers in the Sharon car died.
Rabiu said he participated in the evacuation of a boy whose hand was chopped off. He said he doubted if he would survive.
Kano State Police Commissioner, Ibrahim K. Idris, however put the casualty figure at 12 and did not disclose the number of injured persons.
Addressing newsmen at the scene of the blast, Idris said the explosion was carried out by two suicide bombers.