At least 24 people were killed and several others injured when a female suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device, IED, at a crowded food joint in Konduga town, Borno State.
The attack occurred around 10:00 p.m. on Friday in the town located about 36 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital.
Sources said the female attacker entered the popular food spot before setting off the explosive, instantly killing several people. Police and emergency responders confirmed that both men and women were among the 24 people killed in the blast. Many others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The body of the bomber was shattered by the explosion, with only her head recovered at the scene.
A combined team of security operatives, including military personnel, police Explosive Ordnance Disposal, EOD, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear, CBRN, teams, Tactical Units, Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF, and local hunters responded swiftly to the incident. The area was cordoned off and searched, but no additional explosives were found.
The injured victims were evacuated to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, UMTH, for treatment, while the corpses of the deceased were deposited at the hospital’s morgue. Medical officials at the hospital confirmed the casualty figures.
Authorities say profiling of the victims is ongoing, and plans are underway to release the bodies to their families for burial in accordance with religious rites.
The motive for the attack remains unclear, but similar incidents in the region have previously been linked to insurgent groups operating in the North-East.
