27 dead in mosque blast in Yola, NE Nigeria

The district head along with other dignitaries including a former Minister, Alhaji Hassan Adamu narrowly escaped the blast as they left the mosque shortly after the inauguration to observe their prayers at their usual jummat mosque in Jimeta area of Yola.

Scores of worshippers are feared dead in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, after a bomb attack at a mosque in Jimeta area of the city.

A member of the state Civilian JTF, also known as Youth Vanguard, Baba Kashim, who participated in evacuating victims from the scene of the blast, said the incident happened when Muslims were preparing for the early morning prayers.

According to eyewitnesses, not less than 100 persons were injured in both incidents believed to have been carried out by Boko Haram insurgents.

“It was a young boy who attempted to get into the mosque when the explosive went off”.

“When the first batch of soldiers came, they started beating people with horse whips which caused an uproar as the worshipers retaliated by pelting the soldiers with stones and the soldiers fired shots leading to the instant death of many people”, the source said.

The blast is the third to have occurred in Yola in the last six months.

Haruna Furo, executive secretary of the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), said rescue effort was still going on but could not give figure of the dead or injured.

Mr Bello adds that 96 people are receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre and Specialist Hospital Yola.

File: Bomb victims in hospital.

ON a day that Boko Haram terrorists wreaked havoc in two separate bomb attacks in Yola and Maiduguri killing over 33 persons and injuring 111 people, Hungary, yesterday pledged to assist Nigeria in tackling the insurgency.