Blast at Adamawa IDP camp ‘kills 7 children’

“Seven children” were killed in an explosion that occurred at Malkohi camp, one of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Yola, capital of Adamawa state.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency both confirmed the blast, saying it happened at a warehouse in the camp. But casualty toll was initially unclear.

Sanni Datti, spokesman of the state emergency agency, told TheCable that the inhabitants of the camp were currently being evacuated.

“I can confirm to you that there was a bomb blast at Malkohi camp this morning but we don’t have the details for now because we are busy evacuating people,” he had said.

A security source also said many people were killed in the incident and that those affected had been rushed to the hospital.

“We don’t have the actual figure of causalities now but many people were killed and some others have been rushed to the hospital,” he said.

“This is sad. Very sad.”

But Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, subsequently quoted Bindo Jibrilla, governor of Adamawa state, as saying that seven children were killed while 10 were injured.

“SAD NEWS: The Governor of Adamawa just informed the Northern States Governors’ Forum that an explosion took place in an IDP camp in Yola killing seven children and injuring ten persons,” el-Rufai wrote on Facebook.

“May Allah grant repose to their souls and provide doc our to the people of Adamawa and Nigerians at large. May Allah expose these heartless criminals, Amen.”

Atiku Abubakar, former Nigerian vice-president, condemned the attack, describing it as an attempt to create disunity.

“I’m deeply saddened by the bombing incident at the Yola IDP camp today. Only persons with hearts of evil could do this,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Today’s attack is an attempt to break the spirits of the people who came to seek refuge. The perpetrators will know no peace. We refuse to be broken. We will win the war against terrorism. We shall overcome!”

Since the advent of Boko Haram, this is the first time that an IDP camp will be attacked.

Malkohi was opened about a year ago and initially made home to the 293 women and girls who were rescued from the captivity of Boko Haram in April.

As at May when TheCable visited the camp, it had a population of about 1,200 displaced persons mainly from Borno and Adamawa states.