More than 30 people were killed when a bomb blast ripped through packed crowds in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, just days after President Muhammadu Buhari visited, declaring that Boko Haram was close to being defeated.
The explosion happened at about 8:20 p.m in the Jambutu area of the
state capital, although it was not immediately clear whether it was
caused by a suicide bomber or an improvised explosive device.
“So far, we’ve recorded about 32 dead and about 80 injured,” said Sa’ad Bello, the Yola coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The Red Cross and state police gave a slightly lower toll of 31 dead and 72 injured.
The blast bore all the hallmarks of Boko Haram, which has previously attacked Yola with suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices in recent months.
Buhari recently was in Yola to decorate soldiers for bravery in the
counter-insurgency as well as visit a camp for people displaced by six
years of violence that has left at least 17,000 people dead.
He told troops he believed Boko Haram “are very close to defeat” and
urged soldiers “to remain vigilant, alert and focused to prevent Boko
Haram from sneaking into our communities to attack soft targets.”
Red Cross official Aliyu Maikano and residents said the area targeted
was a lorry park which also houses a livestock market, an open-air
restaurant and a mosque.
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