“It was a bloody attack by a female suicide bomber and apart from the over 40 people who were killed, many sustained injuries”, he said.
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Other witnesses said the explosion was characteristic of Boko Haram, which has previously targeted crowded bus stations, markets, mosques and churches during its insurgency over the past six years in northeastern Nigeria.
The explosion happened at 1.30pm in the town of Sabon Gari in Borno state, the heartland of the Islamist militant group.
A nurse at Biu hospital 25 miles away said the facility received more than 20 bodies burned beyond recognition, and is treating 41 survivors.
Because of this, many believe Boko Haram to be behind the blast.
“It was concealed in a napsack used for spraying herbicides”. “It was smuggled into the market and apparently abandoned”.
Its mandate is to combat the Nigeria-based extremist Boko Haram sect.
Although no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, Boko Haram is the prime suspect.
“It will end before the end of the year and Boko Haram will disappear with the establishment of the joint force”, he said, referring to plans to boost co-ordination among West African troops. Bura also expressed assurances that the Boko Haram Takfiri group has been behind the deadly attack. “But there are a number of characters claiming to represent different factions within Boko Haram, and their bona fides are often hard to verify”. Under Shekau’s leadership, the terror group’s mission has been to drive out all followers of Christ from Nigeria.
The latest was in October, when Nigeria’s military announced a ceasefire accord after talks in Chad mediated by Mr Deby on the release of the kidnapped schoolgirls in return for Boko Haram prisoners.
“There have been reports in recent times of some Nigerians departing to join terrorist groups especially in the Middle East and north Africa”, said NIS spokesman Chukwuemeka Obua.
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The violence has spilled over into Nigeria’s neighboring countries.
