It was a Black Friday for residents of Madagali town in Adamawa State yesterday as two suicide bombers, said to be teen female students, attacked Madagali Market in Madagali Local Council, leaving about 30 people dead.
The Army Public Relations Officer in charge of 28 Task For Battalion in Mubi, Major Badare Akintoye, who confirmed the incident, said that 30 people were killed and 57 others seriously injured in the attacks.
He said the two attacks occurred around noon when buying and selling was going on in the market.
“The attack in Madagali was carried out by two female school children. They detonated two bombs at the same time, killing 30 people. They also died.
“Based on the report before me from our men working on ground, 30 were killed and 57 people were also injured during the attack and security agents have taken over the area to avoid enemies coming in to cause another attack,” he stated.
An eyewitness, John Musa, said that two suspected female suicide bombers detonated the bombs that exploded at the grains and second-hand clothes sections of the market yesterday at noon, killing dozens of people.
Chairman of Madagali Local Council, Yusuf Muhammad, who also confirmed the attacks, called on the federal government to deploy soldiers to the surrounding areas where he said Boko Haram insurgents set up camps.
He described the attacks as a setback to the relative peace being enjoyed by residents, who have resumed normal commercial and social activities following successful military operations that dislodged the insurgents from the area.
Madagali
Madagali
While condemning the latest bomb blast, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has proposed intelligence surge to avert such horrendous attacks and greater vigilance on the part of citizens, especially in the liberated communities.
In a statement issued on his behalf by his media office, the former Vice President expressed his deepest grief and regret over such heartless disregard for human life by terrorists, noting that indiscriminate mass murderers should not be allowed to defeat humanity and impose their reign of terror on the people.
According to the former Vice President, the Boko Haram terrorists still pose a real threat, adding that the country must redouble its efforts and unite against them.
He urges greater vigilance on the part of citizens and increased intelligence, as the military ramps up its operations against Boko Haram insurgents.
He said he was highly embarrassed that these terrorists are hiding behind religious ideology to commit atrocities against innocent people, despite the fact that Islam, and indeed any other religion prohibits the murder of innocent people.
The Turakin Adamawa regrets that the Boko Haram bandits have virtually crippled Northern economy and disrupted its social life.
He calls on the Federal Government to redouble its efforts, even as he proposes an intelligence surge in the war against terrorism, adding that the militants have contempt for peace and therefore, should be fiercely confronted. He also calls for greater vigilance among members of the civil population in order to identify and frustrate suicide bombers in their tracks.
The former Vice President condoles the families of the victims and survivors of the blast as well as the Adamawa State Government.
The APC chieftain urges that no efforts should be spared towards providing medical treatment for the scores of injured.
“To the people of Madagali in my home state of Adamawa, affected by the bomb blast today (Friday), we are praying for you.
“Our people will not be bowed by terrorists. We must keep up our vigilance and increase intelligence even in liberated communities,” the statement read.
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