At least 20 people were killed today in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital when female suicide bombers attacked a fish market in the city.
The bombers who were disguised as beggars to try to gain entry into the market, according to eyewitnesses attacked the market at some minutes to 4:00PM.
Reports say that one woman blew herself up inside the market, while another one who fled blew herself up close to the market, with no casualties.
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, it is believed to have been perpetrated by Islamist militant group Boko Haram. The terrorists group is known for carrying out such attacks in Maiduguri and other cities in the northeast. It is increasingly using female bombers lately as it continues its six-year campaign of violence.
Although it cannot be immediately confirmed whether the suicide bombers wore veils, most women in the region wear veils for cultural and religious reasons. Boko Haram had exploited this, with several suicide bombers in recent times being females, using their veils to conceal bombs. The sect used females wearing full veils known as the burqa in its attack on Chad last week. In response to the attack which led to 33 deaths, the central African nation with a Muslim majority banned the use of the burqa.
Military presence in Maiduguri has increased in recent weeks, in compliance with a presidential order that the Nigerian military move its headquarters from the capital Abuja to the northeast city, the birthplace of Boko Haram, but this has not stopped the attacks. There have been four attacks in the city this month. There was even one hours after President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the relocation of the military.
Nigerians have hoped Buhari’s administration would end insurgency in the country. They will be expecting more decisive actions to be taken in the earliest to end the senseless killing by the sect.
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