Seventeen persons have been confirmed killed in multiple suicide attacks that occurred in Kofa, a village close to Maiduguri, Borno State, on Sunday night.
Victor Isuku, spokesman of the police in Borno made this known on Monday, adding that 11 others were injured in the attack.
The attacks were carried out by five female bombers.
“The first suicide bomber detonated the IED near a mosque, killing seven persons,” Isuku said.
“The second detonated in a house, killing five persons, while two other suicide bombers detonated within the same vicinity, killing themselves.
“A total of 17 persons, including the five suicide bombers, died, while 11 persons sustained injuries and were rushed to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).”
However, a statement by Abdulkadir Ibrahim, information officer of the North East office of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), provided a slightly different narrative in his own statement issued on Monday morning.
The statement read: “At about 8.45 pm, two female suicide bombers were intercepted when they tried to gain access into Dalori 2 Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp.
“Two other female suicide bombers also detonated their explosives at the adjoining Dalori kofa village at about 8.10 pm where they killed 16 people.
“A total of four suicide bombers were involved in the incidents. The injured victims have been administered with first aid and transported to hospitals within Maiduguri for treatment.”
Suicide bomb attacks have become rampant in Maiduguri in recent times, in spite of the numerous claims by the military that the Boko Haram terrorist group has been largely decimated.
Only on June 8, 15 people were killed and 24 injured after three male suicide bombers detonated improvised explosive devices at Muna area in Maiduguri.