By Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri

At least six people are feared dead and 22 others injured in twin bomb explosions at a motor park in Damaturu, Yobe State capital, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the police in the state have confirmed.

The injured are said to be receiving treatment at the General Hospital in the town while the corpses have been deposited at the morgue.

Bashir Idris Garga, NEMA’s head of response in the state, told our correspondent on phone, that the blasts occurred at the Central Motor park in the centre of the town, and at the Pompomari area.

He added that the blasts occurred around 7am when a teenage girl detonated an improvised explosive device tied around her. “The girl was accosted by those manning the entrance to the motor park and while they were trying to search her, she detonated the bomb, which had a major impact on an already loaded bus that was taking off. This killed four persons instantly and resulted in the injuring of 22 others, six of which were critical injured,” Garga said.

The NEMA chief said the second blast took place at Pompomari area of the town when a man suspected a little boy of carrying a bomb but in the process of taking the boy to security agents, the bomb went off, killing the two.

The police spokesperson in the state, Toyin Gbadegesin, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, confirmed the death of six persons in the two bomb blasts.

Meanwhile, the Yobe state governor, Ibrahim Gaidam has described the explosions as callous, senseless and condemnable.

He called on residents to be more prayerful and vigilant as the state wrestles with insurgency.

The governor, who said this via a press statement issued by his spokesman, Abdullahi Bego said he had been fully briefed on the latest twin tragedies.

Bego said the governor was heartbroken over the incident and had promised to foot the medical bills of the injured persons.