4 killed in botched Borno suicide attacks

(ERIC GOSSIP) –After three separate suspected suicide 
bomb attacks were foiled by the Military in Maiduguri on
 Tuesday and in the early hours of yesterday, the Borno
 State Police Command, yesterday, confirmed the killing 
of four persons.

Borno State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Damian Chukwu, who stated this at a briefing in Maiduguri, explained that
 the first attempted suicide attack took place around 
midnight on Tuesday, while the other two took place
 yesterday morning.

Meanwhile, yesterday, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General
Tukur Buratai, appealed to the media to be cautious of
 reports capable of jeopardizing ongoing military operations
 in the North East.

On the failed suicide bombings, Borno State Police boss, Mr.

Chukwu, said: “The first incident occurred around 12:45a.m., Tuesday, when a suspected suicide bomber 
tried to perpetuated the metropolis through Usmanti village.

“As he tried to cross over near a military checkpoint, he
 was gunned down by the soldiers on guard and the 
shooting triggered the explosive he was carrying, killing 
him alone.

“The second incident happened this morning around 4:50a.
m., when a group of suspected suicide bombers also tried 
to penetrate the metropolis through Kaleri village.

“Unfortunately for them, there was a vigilant military checkpoint in the place and one of them was sighted
 trying to cross the fence and was gunned down.”

The commissioner said police bomb squad was invited 
after the explosive on the suspect refused to detonate.

He added: “Unknown to anybody, the remaining bomber had
scaled through and moved about 200 meters away. She
 met ome people and detonated her explosive, killing 
herself and one other person.”

Chukwu added that two persons around the vicinity were 
also injured and taken to hospital. He urged residents to
 be more vigilant by reporting strange things to the police 
and other security agencies.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Head of Delegation of
 International Red Cross, ICRC, and Red Crescent 
Movement, Mr. Eloi Fillion, yesterday, visited Maiduguri,
 to commiserate with families of six volunteers killed in 
last Tuesday’s accidental air strike in Rann, headquarters of Kala Balge Local Government Area.

Buratai

Buratai tasked the media to see themselves as partners in
 the peace, progress and security of the country, saying 
the Nigerian Army in particular and the military in general 
have no monopoly of the total security in the defence of 
the country.

Buratai appealed to the media to work closely with the 
military to achieve the needed success in the fight against Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East, the militancy in 
the Nigeria's Delta and other security threats across the country, saying the task was not only for security outfits
 alone.

Although he admitted that there were challenges in the 
Army operations in the ongoing fight against Boko Haram, 
the Army chief, however, said any action the military has 
taken so far was in the best interest of the country.