Breaking news: Bomb rocks Borno , kills 7, injures 20 , female bomb responsible

At least seven people were killed and 20 injured when a female suicide bomber blew herself up at a busy market in the town of Biu, northeast Nigeria, witnesses said Thursday.

“I counted seven people (dead) at the spot and more than 20 others are seriously bleeding. Shops were also affected by the… blast,” said Zakka Emmanuel who was at the scene.
Trader Auwal Yusuf gave an identical toll and both said that the bomber may have been disguised as a passenger in a van loaded with goods and people.
“There has been a suicide attack by a female suicide bomber in the market this afternoon,” said Babagani Ali, who lives in the Borno state town 180 kilometres (110 miles) south of state capital Maiduguri.

An eyewitness, Yusuf Gunda has told ThisDay correspondent on phone that a woman was caught trying to set up the explosive device very close to the market at about 3:30 pm on Thursday.

The youth and traders around the area "were not too sure what she was trying to plant as such incident was alien to them, but they suspected that it could be an explosive device. As they told her to carry what she dropped, the explosive device was detonated and it killed five persons, including the woman."

Gunda said 10 other persons were injured in the explosion, and that the 10persons were taken to the Biu General Hospital to receive treatment.

He said the market was visited by security agents to ascertain the level of destruction, and that things are back to normal as people who were initially apprehensive have started going about their normal activities.

A source at the hospital, who spoke anonymously to ThisDay correspondent, confirmed that ten persons were brought in with different degrees of injury.

Several attempts to get the Public Relations Officer of the Police in the state, Gideon Jibrin was not successful as his mobile was not reachable.

Recall that a major disaster was averted in Borno Sunday when 147 cluster bombs were recovered at a village in the state by security agents.

Addressing a press conference in Maiduguri on Tuesday, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Clement Adoda, said the bombs were recovered from a distance of about 27 kilometres from the state capital, Maiduguri.

He said the bombs were discovered at Auno village in Konduga Local Government Area of the state.

Adoda said: “I am glad that at about 9a.m on February 8 (Sunday) 147 unexploded cluster ordinances (UXOS) were recovered at about two kilometres away from Auno village near Jakana, Londuga local government area of Borno State.”

He said the combined team of bomb disposal unit, policemen and troops attached to Jakana area led by Capt. Daniel Yakubu sighted the explosives, recovered and destroyed them in good time without injuries or damages to lives and property.