by Topsy Oba
At least 30 civilians and insurgents were killed in Maiduguri yesterday when security operatives allegedly went berserk after the killing of an Army lieutenant and six other military personnel in an explosion.
Witnesses said the violence was triggered by a “thunderous blast” which hit a military patrol van at about 7.15am along Lagos Street in the Borno State capital, which has seen deadly Boko Haram uprising for the past three years.
Soon after the blast in which the military personnel were killed, angry soldiers opened fire and set ablaze over 100 houses and shops, as well as 35 vehicles. Gwange, an adjoining settlement of the less privileged, was worst affected, witnesses said.
Spokesman for the Joint Task Force (JTF), Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, confirmed that there was a blast but said only two soldiers sustained injuries.
He declined to comment on the allegation of mass killing of civilians and burning of homes, shops and vehicles.
“There was a bomb blast involving a JTF Hilux vehicle at 7.15am today (yesterday) along Lagos Street in Maiduguri metropolis. It is feared that 2 soldiers sustained injury. Details on the incident, if any, will be communicated,” Musa said in a text message sent to journalists.
Baba karami, who works at a nearby car-wash platform, said the impact of the explosion tore the patrol vehicle of the JTF operatives and the soldiers in it.
“Our platform is less than 150 metres away from the scene…I even fell because of fear. Black smoke and dust soon enveloped the sky and after some time, I counted the bodies of six soldiers on the ground. This was after we took cover in a nearby shop,” he said.
He said some people were trapped inside their homes while fires raged. “If you get into Gwange, you will also see some burnt cars in front of burnt houses,” he added.
Another witness, Usman Sanusi, who was taking his son to school when the blast happened, said he saw two military pickup vans, water tanker and an ambulance heading towards the scene of the blast which was already cordoned.
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