The death toll of Thursday’s mortar attack in Maiduguri by Boko Haram has risen to six, Borno State Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Aliyu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Friday in Maiduguri.
Aliyu said 27 persons were fatally injured from the four mortar attacks, which affected Gwange, Custom, and Gidan Ayaba areas of the metropolis.
- Zulum, Shettima attend eid prayer in Maiduguri
- Furniture maker, son, three others killed in Maiduguri explosions
He said the victims included one female at Gwange and five others who were hit by the explosives in separate locations within the city.
He said that following the incidents, the command, in collaboration with other security agencies, deployed 7,000 personnel to secure the metropolis.
“Those deployed are personnel from the Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD), Special Anti-Robbery Squad men with armoured vehicles and sniffer dogs, Civilian Joint Task Force, Hunters and the Rapid Response Squad to secure the outskirts of the city,” he said.
Aliyu urged the public to be on high alert and avoid large gatherings, as well as report any suspicious activities around them to security agencies.
He also warned youths in the state to desist from any act capable of disrupting the peace.
Over the years, members of the Boko Haram terrorist group and Islamic State’s West Africa Province – non state actors – have carried out such attacks in the state, killing thousands of people in the process.
Governor of the state, Babagana Zulum, on Wednesday, escaped an ambush by gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members.
One of the aides of the governor confirmed this to Daily Trust.
The aide said the governor’s convoy was attacked when he was returning from Baga where he had distributed food items to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
