Just days after the federal government announced that Boko Haram has been technically defeated, the insurgent group attempted an invasion of Maiduguri.
The insurgents were however repelled by soldiers as they tried to enter Maiduguri via Aladuwari village, which is about 2 km from the Borno capital, witnesses and a security source said.
About two hours later, while the gun battle continued, two suicide bombers believed to be females, detonated explosives near a Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria primary school between Suleimanti and Jiddari area of Maiduguri.
Abubakar Muhammed, a vigilante official, said he saw corpses and injured person as he joined others to flee from the troubled neighbourhood which is close to Aladuwari.
“It was two women that detonated themselves near that FOMWAN school,” Mr. Muhammed said. “Many people got killed and many others were injured.”
A source in the area, Umar Ibrahim, told journalists that as a result of the shoot-out, a rocket propelled launcher fell on a group of people near a borehole at Jiddari Polo area.
Also on Sunday, a lone suicide bomber reportedly caused the death of 15 members of a family, comprising three wives of a village head, their 10 children and two other persons.
Residents of the area said the woman who caused the death went running into the house of the village head in Bakasi layout of Maiduguri claiming she was being chased by Boko Haram. When the members of the household gathered to calm her down she detonated her explosives killing everyone close to her.
“They thought she needed help when she came in shouting ‘Boko Haram is after me, Boko Haram is after me.’ Before the family members could know her real mission it was too late”, a resident of the area, Muhammed Abbas, said.
The Nigerian Army, however, gave a different narration of the events.
The spokesperson of the Army’s Operation Lafiya Dole, Mustapha Anka, said the blasts heard were not suicide bombings but controlled explosions by anti-bomb operatives.
“This evening, troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, intercepted and destroyed 10 suspected Boko Haram terrorists suicide bombers at the outskirts of Maiduguri city,” Mr. Anka, a colonel, said.
“Contrary to earlier media reports and rumours flying around, 2 Boko Haram terrorists suspected suicide bombers earlier intercepted by vigilant troops disclosed their colleagues intent to enter the city with the aim of detonating bombs in selected public places.
“Consequently, the troops laid ambush on the terrorists suspected routes along Damboa road and eliminated them. The suicide bombers were intercepted in 3 different locations approaching the city; Ajiri area towards Damboa road, High Court axis and the Eye Hospital Area.
“The Explosive Ordinance Device team have been mobilized and they are combing the general a area as well as clearing the debris. Normalcy has been restored to the general area and the public are please advised to go about their normal businesses and social activities. However, it is important to maintain more vigilance.”
Sunday’s attacks occurred despite assertions by the President Muhammadu and Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, that Boko Haram has been defeated.
“They (Boko Haram) are not in a position to threaten Nigeria now, so we have won,” Mr. Buhari told the BBC on Christmas eve.
