Nigeria: Suicide bombers, civilians killed

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - At least three female suicide bombers were killed late Sunday in Nigeria’s northeastern Maiduguri city as local vigilante fired at them before they could detonate explosives attached to their bodies, according to an official.

“We killed two of them at an area called Muna garage in Maiduguri. We fired at them because they failed to stop for routine search. One other detonated the explosive vest on her body before she could reach the checkpoint. Three civilians got injured,” Abba Umaru, a member of the government-backed vigilante group, told Anadolu Agency early Monday.

Police have confirmed the incident but did not give further details. The country's relief agency National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed that eight persons were killed in the multiple blasts, including four suicide bombers and "four innocent victims."

But a NEMA official, who asked not to be named, said the explosions included one at Muna and another (two) at Kaleri area of the town.

“At least five civilians and the two suicide bombers died in the Kaleri explosions. There were injuries too,” he told Anadolu Agency.

These come a day after six soldiers - including a captain - were killed in an ambush by Boko Haram militants.

The soldiers were killed Saturday evening in Buni Yadi town of northeastern Yobe state. An opposition governor Ayodele Fayose said in a statement late Sunday that the attack discredited government's claim of having defeated the militants.

Although now degraded, Nigeria grapples with a six-year insurgency waged by militant group Boko Haram. An estimated 20,000 people have been killed in the violent insurgency while over 2 million people are displaced. Aid agencies say up to 15 million people are directly affected by the militancy.