ATLEAST 20 KILLED IN BORNO MARKET BOMB ATTACK

At least 20 traders were reported killed and about  50 others critically injured in a bomb attack on a rural market in Damboa local government area ‎ of Borno state, witnesses and security sources said.
The bomb went off at about 1pm  in Sabon Gari village, located some 45 kilometres away from Biu town .
Sabon-Gari, an agrarian community  located along the Maiduguri – Biu highway, has a weekly market that holds every Tuesday.
The bomb, according to witnesses, may have been buried in the market.
There are conflicting accounts on actual casualties recorded.
A witness, who identified himself as ‎Yakubu ‎told reporters that “Many people were  killed in Sabon Gari market this afternoon. There was a bomb explosion in the market. We heard the loud explosions
at about 1pm, and people began to run for dear lives. Initially, we  thought it was a suicide bombing. It was when we got there we knew it was not a suicide bombing attack; the bomb was planted at the centre of the market. About 20 persons were killed with their bodies dismembered, beyond recognition. ‘
An operative of the Civilian-JTF, Yohana Markus,  who claimed to have visited the scene said “over ‎50 persons were killed and 45 other traders got injured”.
He said most of the injured were taken to hospital in Biu town.
A hospital source  in Biu‎ who would not want to be quoted  in this report  because she has no clearance to speak to the press said “we have admitted 41 injured persons who are currently being given medication, while over 20 other bodies “mostly burnt or battered beyond recognition were also brought to the mortuary”.
The police have not officially responded to the situation in Damboa local government.
The Borno Commissioner of police, Aderemi Opadokun, told journalists that his command can only make comments on such attacks after full investigations and verification of facts brought in from scenes of attacks.