Twin female suicide bombers kill 24, injure 54 in Borno

Reports said one first blew herself up, killing a few people while the second screamed and detonated her device when sympathisers gathered to help victims of the first blast. Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Hospitals Management Board, Dr Salisu Kwaya Bura, gave the casualty figures when Governor Kashim Shettima visited victims at the Specialist […]

Reports said one first blew herself up, killing a few people while the second screamed and detonated her device when sympathisers gathered to help victims of the first blast.
Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Hospitals Management Board, Dr Salisu Kwaya Bura, gave the casualty figures when Governor Kashim Shettima visited victims at the Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri.
Bura said 24 corpses were evacuated from the scene of the blasts.
“Rescue workers brought 24 dead bodies. 54 people who sustained injuries were brought to this facility. Out of the number, 20 were treated and discharged, 14 were referred to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital because of the degree of injuries while the rest are being treated here,” he said.
The governor, who was accompanied by top government officials, described the attack as heinous and wondered why innocent people were being killed and maimed without any justification.
“Most of the victims are poor people who were striving to get what to eat. It is a serious crime against humanity being perpetrated by a few extremists under the guise of religion. This is an act of terrorism but we know Allah will overcome it. Falsehood has never triumphed over the truth,” the governor said.
He promised to foot the medical bills of the victims and directed the hospital authorities to give them the best care.
He went round the hospital wards to sympathise with the victims.
An 11-year-old boy told the governor that he was pushing a wheel barrow when the first bomb went off.
“I only found myself here in hospital. My parents are poor, I have to work to help myself,” he said.
A man who sells vegetables at the market also said: “We never had any premonition that something bad would happen to us. Some of my colleagues are no more, they have been brutally killed,” he said.
Militants Monday took over Damasak town, less than 200km (125 miles) from Maiduguri, burning houses and killing residents.