Two female suicide bombers have been arrested in Borno State in connection with a series of deadly explosions in Gwoza, which authorities confirmed on Sunday.
The bombings, involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs), have claimed the lives of at least 18 people and left over 30 others injured.
According to a local government official, a group of 30 female suicide bombers was deployed into Gwoza with the mission to detonate IEDs at various locations. So far, four of these bombers have managed to carry out their attacks.
A source said a female bomber arriving from the Pulka Axis panicked while undergoing military interrogation at a checkpoint.
The source said that the bomber detonated her device, killing herself, a soldier, and a civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) member.
“The bombers infiltrated Gwoza from multiple locations, including Pulka and the Mandara mountains, to execute their deadly mission.
“The attack has been described as one of the most lethal in Borno State in recent months, causing injuries ranging from abdominal ruptures to skull and limb fractures,” the source said .
Barkindo Saidu, the Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), was present during the first blast.
“In my presence, at about 3 pm, the first bomb blast in Gwoza occurred, detonated by a female suicide bomber in the midst of the marriage ceremony celebration,” he reported.
The initial explosion, which took place at a wedding in Tashan Mararaba near the Fire Service in Gwoza town, resulted in multiple casualties.
A witness described the first bomber as carrying a baby on her back when she entered the wedding venue and detonated the IED.
Said said as mourners gathered to bury the victims of the wedding blast, a second bomber struck near General Hospital, followed by a third bomber who targeted the burial gathering. The series of explosions caused extensive injuries and fatalities.
He added that while emergency personnel were still coordinating rescue efforts at the hospital, a fourth explosion was triggered by a teenage female bomber, exacerbating the chaos and increasing the death toll.
“So far, 18 deaths comprise children, adult males, females, and pregnant women. Nineteen seriously injured were conveyed to Maiduguri in four ambulances,” Saidu detailed in his situation report.
He said an additional 23 injured individuals awaited military escort at the Medical Regimental Services (MRS) Clinic.
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