A night market in Kauri, a rural community within the Konduga district of Borno State, North East Nigeria, was the scene of a devastating attack when a suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber detonated an explosive device.
The explosion took place at approximately 9 pm on Wednesday, July 31, in the bustling market area that operates during the night. The market, frequented by numerous locals, is situated along the Bama-Maiduguri road and has been a frequent target of Boko Haram attacks. This latest incident marks yet another in a series of assaults on the vulnerable communities in the region.
According to local sources, the attack resulted in multiple casualties. A police officer and a woman were among those killed, while two patrol vans were set on fire. A government official from the village reported that the bomb detonated at 8:05 pm in a local tea joint where villagers often gathered for evening conversations. Dozens of people were also injured in the blast.
“It is unclear exactly how the attack unfolded, but we suspect that the bomb was planted rather than being a suicide attack. We found the bodies of 19 people, with an unspecified number of civilians injured. The injured were transported to an undisclosed hospital in Maiduguri for treatment,” a source told Daily Trust on condition of anonymity.
This tragic event occurred just 24 hours after an Accountant working with the Local Education Authority in Damboa Local Government Area, Shettima Mustapha, was killed when his vehicle struck an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by suspected Boko Haram terrorists along the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu highway in Borno.
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Daso, for comment were unsuccessful, as his phone was unreachable at the time of reporting.
The attack comes as a nationwide protest is set to take place, with the government expressing concerns that such demonstrations could be exploited by criminals and terrorists.
As of the time of reporting, Middle Belt Times has not received an official statement regarding the incident, and authorities have yet to confirm the number of fatalities.
In a related development, Vanguard reported on Wednesday that a senior Accounting Officer from the Education Department of Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State, Shettima Mustapha, was killed along with another victim whose leg had to be amputated, and several others injured. This incident occurred when their vehicle encountered an IED planted by suspected Boko Haram terrorists along the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu 185 km expressway.
