The Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Zanna Umar Mustapha, and the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Ibn Abubakar Umar Garbai El-kanemi, were lucky to have escaped death on Friday when they were been attacked by a suicide bomber at a central Mosque in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
Some worshippers have confirmed that at least 7 people including the suicide bomber died in the attack that shook Maiduguri on Friday.
Eyewitness account disclosed that Muslim faithful were about leaving the mosque after Friday’s prayer at the central Mosque where the Shehu of Borno and other prominent personalities in the town usually worshipped, only to be attacked by a juvenile suicide bomber , killing himself and 6 others.
It was gathered that the deputy governor and the monarch were taken away after security details showed that there was a security threat in the crowd. They were whisked away almost at the time the bomber had access to the prayer venue.
The Field Operations Officer of Joint Task Force, Victor Ebhaleme, who confirmed the news said the blast led to the death of five persons outside of a mosque in Maiduguri.
Victor had also stated that the deputy governor and the Shehu of Borno may have been the main targets of the bomb attack.
He said, “Five persons have been confirmed dead, while six others sustained injury as a result of the bomb blast.”
Confirming the incident, the JTF spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, said, “At about 1410 hours, a suicide bomber strapped with explosives, detonated bombs just around the Shehu of Borno and the Deputy Governor of Borno State as well as their entourage immediately after the Juma’at congregational prayer.”
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