Deadly suicide bombing in northeast Nigeria
July 30, 2017
A female suicide bomber sneaked into a building late Friday in the town of Dikwa, east of the city of Maiduguri, and detonated her explosives. Fourteen people died and many more were injured, according to the State Emergency Agency (SEMA).
"We have so far evacuated 38 victims comprising 14 dead and 24 injured", said SEMA spokesman Bello Dambatta on Saturday.
The attack, which occurred about 900 kilometers (560 miles) northeast of the capital, Abuja, came days after gunmen believed to be members of the jihadist Boko Haram group kidnapped members of a team looking for oil.
A failed rescue bid ended in the deaths of at least 37 people including members of the oil team, military rescuers and armed gunmen, officials said.
On Saturday, suspected members of Boko Haram provided a video showing three kidnapped members of the oil team, one of whom asked the government to use less force against the jihadists.
President Muhammadu Buhari said in December that Boko Haram's stronghold in the northeast's vast Sambisa forest had been captured.
The group is fighting to create an Islamic state in the northeast of Nigeria. The insurgency has cost the lives of 20,000 people with 2.7 million forced to flee their homes over the last eight years.
bik/jm (Reuters, AP)