According to Punch newspaper, at least 29 people were killed and more than 65 others wounded on Monday in two separate attacks by suspected Boko Haram insurgents on the capitals of Gombe and Bauchi states.
The Gombe State attack was by a female bomber who struck at the Dukku Motor Park in Gombe. She killed 19 and left 40 others injured at about 10.58am.
Almost five hours and 28 minutes after, another insurgent detonated a bomb hidden in a shop at the ever-busy Central Market in Bauchi.
It could not be ascertained if the bomber was a male or a female.
The Gombe bomber was said to have disguised as a passenger carrying her lethal weapon hidden in a sack .
Eyewitness said she detonated the explosive near a bus loaded with passengers.
“The bomber chose her target carefully. She probably was standing by and observing when some of the buses in the park were fully loaded before setting off the bomb.”
The witness, who said that two buses were completely burnt, added that majority of the victims were passengers and hawkers .
The Police Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Fwaji Atajri, and the National Emergency Management Agency confirmed the death of 19 people .
While Atajri said 25 were injured, NEMA, in a statement by its Information Officer, Manzo Ezekiel, gave 39 as the figure.
The PPRO said that the injured were being treated at the Gombe Specialist Hospital.
Credits: Punch