SAN FRANCISCO, January 03, (THEWILL) – Not fewer than five people have been killed by a teenage suicide bomber who attacked a Mosque where his father worships in Gamboru in Gamboru –Ngala local government of Borno state.
The incident occurred on Wednesday at 5: 00 am when the a teenage male bomber who had disowned his father detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the Mosque.
Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole of the Nigeria Army, confirmed the attack.
He added that the troops had also neutralized a suicide bomber at Rann, headquarters of Kala-Balge local government area.
“Yes, but only 5 killed and another suicide bomber neutralized in Rann.”
However, Umar Kachalla, a civilian militiaman, reported that 14 worshippers were killed adding that the mosque had been completely destroyed.
“Fourteen bodies have been pulled out of the rubble,” he said.
“Only the muezzin has survived and we believe more bodies are buried under the debris.
“The death toll may likely rise.”
A second vigilante, Shehu Mada, disclosed that a patrol of vigilantes had spotted four suspected suicide bombers on the outskirts of the town and arrested one of them after a chase, just an hour before the attack.
“Two of them turned back and fled while the fourth disappeared into the darkness and we believe it was he who attacked the mosque,” Mada said.
Also, Lawan Abba, a resident of Gamboru, on Nigeria’s border with Cameroon, said 10 persons were killed while six others sustained injuries in the attack.
Abba disclosed that the suicide bomber sneaked into a crowded mosque while people gathered to observe Morning Prayer and detonated the explosive.
He revealed that the teenage suicide bomber hailed from Gamboru town, adding that the father of the assailant was among the 10 persons who lost their lives in the attack.
“The suicide bomber disowned his parents and joined the insurgents in the bush,” he said.
“He entered the mosque blew up himself into pieces and killed 10 persons including his biological father.”
Abba added that the wounded persons were referred to the clinic in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in the area for treatment.
