10-year-old suicide bomber kills 20 in Maiduguri

A bomb explosion ripped through the popular Monday market in Maiduguri, Borno state capital on Saturday, killing 20 people (including the bomber) and injuring 18.

According to witnesses, the attack was carried out by a 10-year-old suicide bomber.

Gideon Jubrin, spokesman of the Borno state police command, said the blast occurred at the Yen-Kaji section of the market where live chickens were sold.

“Casualty figure is 20 and 18 injured, including the female suicide bomber that detonated the Improvised Explosive Device,” he said.

This is the first bomb attack hitting the city this year.

In December, 2014, an attack by two female suicide bombers killed six people, including the bombers.

The attacks are suspected to be the handiwork of Boko Haram, which has stepped up attacks in the northeast of the country.

The terror group had seized Baga, a town in Borno last Sunday, killing about 2000 people and displacing 2000 residents in what has been described as probably the deadliest in the history of the insurgency.

On Friday, the sect attacked Damaturu, but Nigerian troops warded them off.