Nigeria suicide bomb attack leaves 18 killed, 42 injured

KANO (Xinhua): At least six people were killed 18 and 42 others injured after a suspected suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device at a busy motor park in Nigeria’s northeastern state of Borno on Saturday, police said.

The suspected bomber targeted a wedding ceremony held near the motor park in the Marraban Gwoza town, shattering the joyful mood of the celebration and leaving families and loved ones in mourning, Yusuf Lawal, the police chief in Borno, told reporters.

Lawal said at least six bodies were evacuated and those injured were rescued and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

He added that police had deployed armed personnel to cordon off the area while investigating the incident.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the bomb attack.

Nineteen people described as “seriously injured” were transported to Maiduguri, the regional capital, while another 23 awaited evacuation, according to Saidu’s report.

A militia member aiding the military in Gwoza reported that two of his colleagues and a soldier were killed in a separate attack on a security post, although authorities had not immediately confirmed this toll.

In 2014, Boko Haram militants seized Gwoza along with large parts of northern Borno. The Nigerian military, supported by Chadian forces, reclaimed the town in 2015, but the group has since continued launching attacks from nearby mountains.

Boko Haram has conducted raids that target men and abduct women who venture outside Gwoza in search of firewood and acacia fruits.

The violence in Nigeria’s northeast has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths and displaced approximately two million people. The conflict has spread to neighboring Niger, Cameroon, and Chad, leading to the establishment of a regional military coalition to combat the militants.