At least 15 dead after double bomb attack in capital Abuja

The Kuje and Nyanya suburbs of Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, were yesterday night rocked by a series of bomb blasts, a year after they’d had relative peace from bomb explosions.

Past year more than 100 people died in two car-bomb attacks in Nyanya that were two weeks apart. He recalled that something touched him, he opened his shirt and removed what he described as a small particle.

No group has claimed the attacks yet, but the notorious Boko Haram terrorist group is usually behind such assaults.

Nyanya has been the target of two bomb blasts in April a year ago, and Kuje houses a prison where suspected members of Boko Haram are being held.

Friday’s attacks came a day after four suicide bombers blew themselves up in the capital of the northeastern state of Borno, Maiduguri, killing at least 11 people.

Three others were killed in another explosion at a local bus terminus in Nyanya, located on the outskirts of Abuja city, the official said, adding 21 injured victims were evacuated to a government-run hospital.

Vicky Ododo, a witness, said they heard two blasts and saw people lying on the ground, while majority were rushing for safety from the direction of the park.

Buhari said Thursday his leadership has taken the battle to the insurgents, and severely weakened their logistical and infrastructural capabilities.

“The defeat of Boko Haram insurgency is in sight but to remove violence and make the country safe, we must tackle the prevalence of violent extremism”, he was quoted as saying in a statement.

A five-nation force comprising troops from Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin is due to deploy soon, in recognition of the regional threat posed by the group after repeated cross-border attacks.