Police in Borno State have confirmed that at least 16 persons comprising seven suicide bombers and nine innocent victims died after Boko Haram insurgents attacked Maiduguri on Sunday.

University of Maiduguri was part of the locations attacked by the bombers who crept into the city during the curfew hours as Muslims celebrated Sallah.

Borno State police commissioner, Damian Chukwu, told journalists at a press conference that most of the attackers were teenage girls who were wired with deadly explosives.

The CP said some 13 other persons were also injured as a result of the bomb attacks.

“At the University of Maiduguri, one of the suicide bombers that attacked the office of the Security operatives there died while three university security personnel on duty got injured; of which one of them identified as Becky Edubi later died while being attended to at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH),” he said.

Mr. Damian further said four female suicide bombers also infiltrated Zannari community and detonated their explosives at two residential buildings.

“The twin explosives killed eight people and injured 11 others in the buildings. But the third suicide bomber amongst the suspects only killed herself, by detonating the IED strapped to her body without hitting any target,” he said.

“The fourth female suicide bomber, identity not known, was arrested with injuries on her body but she eventually died same night (Sunday) as a result of injuries she sustained.”

He said another attack was also recorded in the early hours of the dawn when another set two female suicide bombers attacked yet another location within the precinct of the University of Maiduguri.

“In another development at about 4.08am, to be precise, two female suicide bombers detonated their IEDs within the premises of University.

“One of the suspects, detonated her explosives near the University’s Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition Centre, and killed herself, without any casualties, while the second person detonated the explosives behind the Works Department complex, and equally killed herself, with no other casualties.”

He said the police had mobilized its Explosives Ordnance Department to clear the attacked location and ensured that normalcy was restored.

The CP said the attackers may have been those prevented from gaining access to the Eid Prayer grounds as a result of security.

He said the police had since provided credible information to the military on where the Boko Haram insurgents manufacture and couple their explosives, and that an operation had been launched to fish out those behind such.

PT