Tinubu, Atiku, others condemn Borno bomb attacks

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, have condemned the suicide bombing attacks that reportedly killed at least 18 people in some parts of Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

While Tinubu declared the incidents as an act of terrorism, Atiku charged the Federal Government not to allow the North-East region to slide back into a “theatre of terrorism and extreme violence.”

However, President Tinubu, in a statement released by his media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, said the attacks were a clear manifestation of the military onslaught against the terrorists and the success achieved in degrading their capacity to launch offensives.

“The purveyors of wanton violence shall have a certain encounter with justice,” he stated, reiterating his government is taking necessary measures to secure Nigerians.

He further stated that efforts “will be redoubled to ensure that those who trouble the nation, dispatching precious lives, and disrupting law and order are completely removed.”

Tinubu sympathised with the victims of the attacks, the families of the deceased, as well as the government and people of Borno State.

Successes against Boko Haram being cancelled – Atiku

Reacting to the attack yesterday, the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, expressed concerns over the incidents of terrorism resurfacing in the North East.

He also condemned the bomb attacks, which resulted in the loss of lives and  maiming of other citizens in the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

In a statement issued via his X handle, Atiku said the suicide attacks in Borno were sad and condemnable, stressing that ugly incidents are worrisome.

The former Vice President said the achievements recorded in the fight against insurgency were being cancelled out by the Tinubu government due to its lacklustre posture towards fighting terrorists.

He wrote:  “It is a sad development that the ugly incidents of terrorism are resurfacing and, indeed, metastasising in the North-East.

“The reported attack by suicide bombers at a wedding reception, funeral procession, and a hospital on Saturday stands condemned. 

“It is unfortunate that much of the pushback that had been achieved against the Boko Haram terror sect is being cancelled, owing mainly to the government’s lacklustre posture to hold firmly on the frontline.”

Atiku, therefore, asked the federal government to ensure that the North East does not slide back into the hands of terrorists and become the theatre of extreme violence.

“It is thus important to call on the federal authorities to wake up to their responsibility and to make sure the North-East does not slide back into a theatre of terrorism and extreme violence.

“My condolences go to the families of victims of these attacks, and it is my prayer that God grants a peaceful repose to the souls of the departed,'' Atiku said.

The US Mission in Nigeria, Amnesty International condemn attacks

In a statement posted on its X handle, The US Mission in Nigeria described the Saturday bomb attacks as “acts of violence show a cruel and heartless disregard for human life.”

“We offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed and wish a full recovery to the injured,” the statement partly read, noting the incidents are a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by terrorism in the region.

The diplomatic mission, thus, pledged its partnership with Nigeria “as it works to defeat terrorism and bring the perpetrators of these heinous acts to justice.”

Amnesty International, on its own, in an X post, described the attacks as vicious and unlawful and demonstrated a contemptible disregard for human life.

“Boko Haram must end its campaign of vicious and unlawful killings of civilians. These deplorable attacks that took place at a time people were mourning demonstrate complete disregard for human life,” it stated.

The coordinated bomb attacks

It was reported how four female suicide bombers, suspected to be members of the Boko Haram group operating in Gwoza, detonated bombs at different locations, resulting in the deaths of military personnel and other civilians.

Initially, the police in Borno estimated the casualties at six, but subsequent official reports said the toll increased to 18.

A source familiar with the insurgents’ operations in the North-eastern state told PREMIUM TIMES that the first bombing was recorded at a wedding ceremony in Mararaban Gwoza.

“The second one took place at a security checkpoint, killing a soldier and two civilians,” the source told our reporter in confidence.

According to him, the third incident “happened at a shopping mall and the fourth one at a burial ground.”

The incidents, he said, took place between 3p.m. and 5p.m. all around the same area.