Two injured as ‘suicide bomber’ detonates IED near mosque in Borno

Two people have been injured after an improvised explosive device (IED), strapped to a suspected suicide bomber, detonated near a mosque in Biu LGA of Borno state.

Speaking with TheCable, Daso Nahum, the state’s police spokesperson, said the incident occurred at about 8 pm on Sunday, when the Muslim faithful were observing their night prayers.

“It was at that time that the suspected suicide bomber came to a popular roundabout near a mosque,” he said.

“We suspect he was heading to the mosque when the IED exploded, killing him.

“Two persons were affected and were immediately rushed to the hospital where they are responding to treatment.

“He’s still yet to be identified. We have not confirmed if he’s a suicide bomber but we suspect he was. What we know is that he was carrying an explosive and was close to the mosque.

“A combined team of security personnel were immediately deployed to the scene of the incident to restore normalcy.”

The spokesperson urged the public to be vigilant especially during Ramadan.

“People should make sure that they are vigilant and should not hesitate to report any suspicious moves to the security agencies,” he said.

The incident comes a few weeks after two labourers reportedly lost their lives in bomb explosions at two separate construction sites in Dikwa LGA of Borno.

The first bomb blast was said to have occurred at Koibe Primary School in the state, while the second IED exploded and killed another construction worker at a different site on the outskirts of Koibe.