Two female suicide bombers were killed on the early hours of Saturday at a mosque in Juddumuri village on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, North-east Nigeria.
Worshipers prevented the bombers from infiltrating the mosque, the police have said in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Borno State Police Command, Victor Isuku.
“At about 0520hrs, today (Saturday), two female suicide bombers with IED strapped to their bodies attempted to enter a mosque at juddumuri village, after federal high court.
“They were intercepted and prevented by the moslem worshippers. In the process, one of them detonated her vest, killing both of them and injuring five others.
“The injured were rushed to the State Specialist Hospital, while the remains of the suicide bombers were equally evacuated by SEMA (State Emergency Management Agency).”
Isuku said the second blast heard moments latter “was from the unexploded IED from the second suicide bomber, which was detonated by the command’s EOD team at the scene”.
The National Emergency Management Agency the incident happened around a mosque close to the federal high court, Jiddari Polo in the ancient city.
Only the bombers were said to have died in the failed attack.
Spokesman of the NEMA in the north-east, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, said Muslim worshippers were observing early morning prayers when the explosion occurred.
“Following an explosion around a mosque close to federal high court jiddari polo Maiduguri, emergency response teams have evacuated the bodies of two female suicide bombers believed to have died in the incident,” he said in a statement.
“Four other persons with injuries were administered with first aid and transported to the hospitals.
“The incident occurred at about 5:25 am.”
Victor Isuku, spokesman of the Borno police command, also confirmed the incident.
“At about 0520hrs today, two female suicide bombers with IED strapped to their bodies attempted to enter a mosque at juddumuri village, after federal high court,” he said.
“They were intercepted and prevented by the Muslim worshippers. In the process, one of them detonated her vest, killing both of them and injuring five others. The injured were rushed to specialist hospital, while the remains of the suicide bombers were equally evacuated by SEMA.
“The second sound was the blast from the unexploded IED from the second suicide bomber, which was detonated by the command’s EOD team at the scene.”