How Security Sabotage In Borno Led To The Killing Of 50 People In A Bomb Blast

 

Odogwuemekaodogwu.com reports that as the country mourn the killing of over 50 people in Maiduguri’s largest market  bombs it has been revealed that some politicians, serving and former leaders, are bent on thwarting the efforts of the Presidency, military and the state government at curbing insurgency in Borno State.

Odogwuemekaodogwu.com reports that facts emerging from the office of the Special Adviser to Governor Kashim Shettima on Communications, Mr Isa Umar Gusau, revealed that the political cabal was striving to further its political ambition ahead of the 2015 elections.

According to a statement signed by Gusau and made available to odogwuemekaodogwu.com , the cabal had been circulating false information through the social media and newspapers, in order to cause disaffection.

The governor’s aide said in its bid to sever the hitherto cordial relationship among the presidency, the military and the state government, the cabal had accused the state government of unimaginable financial misappropriation beyond its income and created a sham Facebook page, with photograph and name of Governor Shettima.

He added that “on Monday morning, the cabal published a complete falsehood, raising all manner of allegations in a newspaper, while on Tuesday, the same cabal planted a fictitious interview on a website it created to pursue its agenda.”

While absolving Governor Shettima and his government of all the accusations, Gusau claimed the attempt of the cabal was to set the Presidency and the military against the governor and his administration “with only 2015 election at the back of their minds.”

He said “some top military officials have had basis to, in the presence of the media, pay tributes to the governor, not only for the easy access to his office which he created for all security heads in the state, but also for his prompt responses to their requests.”

The aide also said Shettima has the highest respect for the presidency and had never disparaged the person of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Odogwuemekaodogwu.com reminded that bombs concealed in van carrying charcoal wrecked havoc in Maidugeri ,Borno  state yesterday .

The bomb explosion caught unawares unspecified number of innocent citizens at the El-Kanemi roundabout, situated between the office of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and Maiduguri Monday Market.

Security sources told odogwuemekaodogwu.com that the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were concealed under bags of charcoal in a J5 Peugeot bus by a suspected Boko Haram member.

The explosion happened around 8.20 a.m.

Traders and workers caught up in the blast also told odogwuemekaodogwu.com that about 50 people had been killed, even as vehicles in the vicinity also exploded.

The security source said those injured in the attack are receiving treatment at hospitals in the town.

A trader, Mallam Hussaini Sani, said “we usually come here very early, waiting until the market is opened. This morning, we suddenly heard the sound of bomb blast. We ran toward the area and found many people killed. The security are, at present, in the area.”

Another trader, Shehu Alkali, told odogwuemekaodogwu.com that most of those killed in the explosion were his friends. 

According to him, “the Peugeot J5 came and parked here (pointing at the place). We asked the driver to move the vehicle away, since the place is not a parking space.

“Our friends helped to push the vehicle to kickstart it. Before we could say what, the explosion had happened scattering things everywhere, including pieces of human parts.”

He thanked God that the explosion did not happen after the market had been opened, adding that it would have claimed more casualty.

“We have counted more than 50 dead bodies and about 48 wounded,” he added.

When odogwuemekaodogwu.com visited the State Specialist Hospital, a top management staff said there was instruction, preventing officials of the hospital from divulging information to the press.

“We are not authorized to speak on the incident, but so many people lost their lives, while a lot more are wounded,” one of the top management staff told the Nigerian Tribune.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Gideon Jibril, told odogwuemekaodogwu.com on phone that officers and men of the command were already at the scene of the explosion, adding that he had no full detail yet on the incident.

Another security source told odogwuemekaodogwu.com that security operatives had cordoned off the area to evacuate corpses and ensure the place was free of other bombs.

As of the time of filing this report, the state governor, Kashim Shettima, was being expected to visit the scene of the incident.

Efforts to reach security spokespersons in Maiduguri were unsuccessful, as their mobile phones were switched off.

Initial report from Nigerian Tribune