A deafening explosion has left 32 persons dead and 84 others seriously injured in Abbachari, Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State at the weekend as the orgy of violence in the North-east showed resilience in spite of desperate military efforts to restore peace in the region.
Reports about the cause of the explosion were conflicting. While the police command in the state suggested a terrorist action, but still investigating, some residents suspected it might have been caused by military artillery strike.
The military, however, denied causing the incident, hanging it on six suicide bombers, who it said detonated the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that sent the victims to their early graves.
According to a witness, Malam Buba Shettima, however, said two separate bomb blasts occurred in Shuwari and Abbachari, at about 8:30p.m.
“The whole of Damboa was shaken by the unfortunate incident. We all scampered for safety as the blasts were coming from different directions. There were bodies everywhere.
“We suspected that the many deaths recorded were a result of the military artillery,” he said.
Another local from the area, Mohammed Hassan, who corroborated the claim, said, “About 8:30 p.m. on Saturday night, an attack suspected to be from an artillery killed 31 innocent people in Damboa Shehuri and Abachari. The attacks came from two separate directions. My house was among some of the houses destroyed.”
The Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj-Gen Rogers Nicholas, denied the claim that the Army was responsible for the blasts, saying the killings were caused by suicide attacks and not military artillery.
“There was nothing like an attack from the military artillery. You can see the pictures of six female bombers who detonated their explosives and as a result, 20 persons were killed while others were injured,” he said.
Rogers urged the people of the area to disregard the claim that the victims were killed by the military and not by suicide bombers.