Police impose curfew as bomber kills 16 in Borno

The police on Thursday imposed a 24-hour curfew across Borno State in response to the suicide attack in the Kawuri village, Konduga Local Government Area that killed 16 people and injured 20 others.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Nahum Daso, who disclosed this in a statement released in Maiduguri, said the decision was taken based on the bomb attack that killed many innocent citizens.

Nahum said the decision was taken after consultations between Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, and heads of security agencies in the state, in order to forestall further security breaches.

“The curfew is a measure to prevent further loss of life and property and to allow security agencies to maintain control and ensure public safety.

“Residents are advised to stay indoors and avoid any unnecessary movements during the curfew period,” he said.

He urged the people of the state to remain calm and law-abiding, assuring that further developments would be communicated accordingly.

NAN reports that a suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber detonated a bomb at a marketplace in Kauri, a rural community in the Konduga area of Borno.

The incident occurred around 9 pm on Wednesday, at the market area, which operates at night every day.

The Commissioner of Police in Borno State, Yusuf Lawan, said response teams were quickly dispatched to the scene to evacuate the injured victims for treatment while the corpses were taken to the primary healthcare centre.

He said the police Explosive Ordnance Device team was deployed to the scene to protect the area from further bombs.

He added that normalcy was restored, and joint security teams were on cautious alerts.

 The Wednesday incident comes about four weeks after 32 persons were killed in multiple suicide bombings that rocked the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno early July.

It was the deadliest after a long period peace in the North-East states.

The military described it as an act of cowardice by Boko Haram terrorists, insisting that the insurgents had been significantly degraded.

“Clearly, the terrorists embarked on these cowardly attacks against innocent citizens to project an image of strength to cover their weakness and decline. Citizens must see through the smokescreen of the terrorists. We must realise that the terrorist  aims to counter the reports of their weakness and  create panic in the general population,” the spokesman for the Defence Headquarters, Maj. Gen. Buba Edward, said.