18 Killed In Abuja Female Suicide Bombings

Two female suicide bombers were actively responsible for the twin
bombings which occurred at Nyanya and Kuje towns of the Federal
Capital Territory last night while a third bomber, a male dropped the
bomb that had the greatest impact and killed 12 persons at the Zamfara
Market in Kuje.

According to eye-witness accounts, the first female suicide bomber (a
15-year-old), alighted from an motorbike, popularly called Okada in
front of the Kuje Police Station at exactly 9.25 pm Friday night and
made for the station but seconds after the Okada that dropped her
left, the bomb, apparently timed, exploded killing the bomber.

Fifteen minutes later, the male bomber who was also on an Okada,
arrived the entrance of the Zamfara Market which incidentally is a
massive market, carrying a leather bag.

He approach a roasted meat (Suya) seller and asked if he could assist
him with some change to enable him pay off the Okadaman.
When the Suya man told the bomber that he didn't have the change, the
bomber dropped his bag and told the roasted meat seller to help him
look after it while he ask's someone else. Minutes after the bomber
left, the bomb exploded, killing and ripping off anybody that was
close by.

According to the eyewitness, Abraham Gabriel, who was one of the first
persons to arrive the scene, the Suya seller, a pregnant woman, a
child were among the casualties.

Continuing Abraham said, initially when the first bomb went off, he
thought it was an electric transformer close to the Kuje Police
station that exploded but it was later discovered to be a bomb.
It was while the Police was trying to ascertain what was going on that
the market bomb went off 15 minutes later with a more deafening noise.

He further disclosed that before help came from the Police, Army and
NEMA, Fire Service, NSCDC for rescue efforts, he along with some
persons stopped a good Samaritan who used his car to evacuate the
injured to the Kuje General Hospital four times, adding that he saw
two persons die on the spot before they could be rescued.

At the Nyanya end of the city, a female suicide bomber was said to
have made attempt to scale the fence into the Nyanya Police station
when the bomb strapped to her body exploded, killing her and one
person while 21 persons were injured.

-Vanguard