Gombe hit by fresh suicide bombing

A suicide bomber blew up himself on Friday night in the highly-populated Arawa area of Gombe, Gombe state, killing “more than 15 people”.

According to a resident who spoke with TheCable, the bomber struck few minutes before 8pm.

“That area is like a small market, like a mini-market where people usually gather or pass en route to their houses,” he said.

“It is a crowded area, in short; just like a smaller version of Oshodi. More than 15 people are said to have died and lots of people are injured.”

He also spoke of the fears of the people of Gombe on the spate of bombings in the state.

“We don’t know why Gombe has been targeted recently for bombings. We don’t know, walahi.

“Even yesterday (Thursday), the police at the check point at Dadinkowa road arrested a bus loaded with explosives. This is serious.

“Right now, everyone is afraid. We no longer feel safe. By 6pm, everyone is disappearing into his or her house. It is only in places like Arawa that you will still find crowd in the evening. My brother, Gombe is not safe at all right now.”

It is the fourth time in 16 days that the northeastern state would be suicide-bombed.

On New Year’s Eve, the 301 Mammy Market situated inside the only military barracks in the capital city, was bombed.

On the first day of the year, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Tudun Wada during the New Year’s Day service, killing an unspecified number of people.

On January 13, a bomb exploded beside a mosque in Kasuwan Mata near Gombe state university, killing one person and injuring a few more.

Earlier in December, though, soldiers at the Bajoga area of the town killed a suicide bomber who failed in his attempt to detonate a bomb at a military checkpoint and then made to escape.