The quiet and peaceful atmosphere of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital was shattered last night with several explosions suspected to be bombs detonated by the terrorist sect Boko Haram. The explosions took place in Kuje, Maraba and Nyanya . One of the bomb blasts in Abuja on Friday, including one target previously attacked by Boko Haram militants, the country’s National Emergency Management Agency.
The explosions happened near a police station in Kuje and at a bus stop in Nyanya at about 10:30 pm local time, said NEMA spokesman Manzo Ezekiel, adding: “There are a number of dead.”
Kuje, near Abuja’s airport, is some 40 kilometres f rom the city centre and seat of government. Its prison has been reported to be holding dozens of Boko Haram prisoners captured by troops. Similarly, twin blasts were heard yesterday at Jikwoyi Park in Nyanya, Abuja, where it was speculated that scores were killed. It happened at about the same time with the Kuje Main Market incident. The same bus station in Nyanya was hit twice last year. The first attack, on April 14 2014, left at least 75 dead and was claimed by the militants; the second, on May 1, left at least 16 dead.
Ezekiel said the latest blasts happened almost simultaneously and appeared to use “the same kind of explosives used in the insurgency” in Nigeria’s northeast. “It was not an accidental explosion… definitely it was a bomb,” he added.
“At this time we can only confirm the explosions. Our officers are on the ground. There are a number of dead but we can’t say anything about numbers now.”
Nigeria’s military has claimed a series of successes against Boko Haram in recent weeks, as it works towards a deadline to end the insurgency by early November set by President Muhammadu Buhari. But indiscriminate attacks on civilians continue.
At least 22 people were killed and 39 others injured when four suicide bombers blew themselves up in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, in northeast Nigeria, on Thursday. The militants were also suspected of killing 11 people during attacks on three villages in the neighbouring state of Adamawa late on Wednesday and early Thursday.
Amnesty International this week said at least 1,600 people had been killed in Boko Haram violence in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger since June. An AFP tally puts the death toll at more than 1,260 in Nigeria alone since Buhari came to power on May 29.
This is the first time in over year that Boko Haram will be caring out it’s dastard and evil act in Abuja.
