Maiduguri Market Bombing: 50 Killed & 68 Injured, As Gov. Shettima Visits Victims

Vanguard reports that more than 50 people including 16 members of the Vigilante outfit, also known as Civilian JTF were killed yesterday when a Peugeot 505 saloon car conveying charcoal and wired with Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, exploded in the busy Monday Market in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. About 68 others were seriously injured. A conflicting report from residents and sources, however said 20 people
including Civilian JTF members died in the blast, while more than 60 others sustained serious injuries. Other sources claimed that the number of those who died could be higher than 40 or 50 as many among the injured died before getting to Umaru Shehu and State Specialist Hospitals.
Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima has since visited the scene of the explosion after leaving the State Specialist Hospital, Umaru Shehu General Hospital in Bulumkutu, where most of the victims were taken to. He said government will be responsible for all the medical bills of the victims, while the families of those who lost their loved ones or relatives, particularly the Civilian JTF will be given N1 million each.
He, howevercondemned the perpetrators of the heinous act, describing it as anti-Islamic, barbaric and wickedness against humanity. He wondered why “in the period of Ramadan, which is a holy month for prayers and fasting and total submission to Allah, some miscreants should use the period to cause havoc to lives and property, which is very unfortunate”.
Although, the Chairman of the Civilian JTF attached to Sector 3, Mallam Iliya Saidu while briefing Governor Kashim Shettima said, his men were able to identify nine of their members, who died in the blast, but the Chairman of Monday Market Traders Association, Alhaji Bukar Jere, while giving the breakdown of the number of casualty to the Governor insisted that 16 Civilian JTF men were among the dozens of people killed.
Briefing, Governor Shettima, the Manager Maiduguri Monday market said: “16 civilian JTF members were among those killed in the blast, while 68 sustained serious injuries”.
He said four vehicles and four tricycles, popularly called ‘ KEKE NAPEP’ were burnt in the blast, adding that the incident also affected 49 shops and Wares displayed by the petty traders on the road side.