Two people were killed and 17 others injured, when a suicide bomber blew off himself and a policeman at the entrance of Musa Usman State Secretariat Maiduguri.
An eyewitness Mallam Ibrahim Saleh said the incident occurred at about 11:45 when the suicide bomber was trying to gain entrance into the secretariat, while a policeman at the gate was trying to interrogate and screen him, he blew off himself and the policeman with 17 others injured.
He said “we were standing at about 11:45 am when a suicide bomber strapped with Improvised Explosive Device (IED) came and was trying to gain entrance into the secretariat and the police at the gate was trying to interrogate him, a quarrel ensued between them, and he detonated the IED killing himself and the policeman, while several other people injured”.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman Borno state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Engineer Ahmed Satomi said, “two people were killed, the suicide bomber and a policeman while 17 others were injured.
“In all we have 19 casualties, a suicide bomber and a policeman were killed, while 17 others were injured and are currently receiving treatment at the state Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri”, Satomi stated.
Addressing newsmen shortly after visiting the scene and the injured at the hospital, Governor Kashim Shettima said “thanked God, we are lucky we only had two dead, no matter what they doing the military are winning the war against the Boko Haram in Sambiza forest, that is why they are in disarray and would like to cause more havoc, in order to register their presence”.
The governor advised the general public to be extra vigilant and report any suspicious movement and objects to the security agents to forestall future occurrence.
The incident was coming at a time when security chiefs were having security meeting at the Government House Maiduguri and less than 24 hours after a suicide bomber detonated an IED at a mosque in Sulemanti ward, where he only blew off himself.