Over 40 worshippers killed as suicide bombers hit Maiduguri mosques

dimeji akinloye

October 15, 2015 11:29 PM

It is believed that the attack was carried out by Boko Haram members, though the terror group is yet to take responsibility for the blasts.

Hundreds of people have been killed after suicide bombers attacked mosques in Maiduguri, Borno capital, on Thursday, October 15.

Eyewitnesses said everyone inside the most populated mosque died. A resident said he had counted 42 bodies after the blasts.

The suicide bombers were said to have attacked various mosques in Mai Borti and Kangaleri villages of Molai in Maiduguri metropolis leaving many worshippers dead.

A resident who escaped said, “Male Suicide bombers detonated multiple improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in different locations while over 30 Muslims were in one of the mosque at Molai outskirts of Maiduguri metropolis observing their Magrib prayer around 6.10 pm Thursday evening”.

Another eyewitness who spoke to Vanguard in anonymity recounted the ordeal:”Muslim were just observing their magrib prayers in a mosque at Molai then a heavy loud sound echoed the air and next we heard lucky survivors shouting it is bomb blast.

“We started running up and down, motorists drived and rushed out of the area including keke NAPEP riders with their families , everywhere was confused and panic took over the entire place.

“You need to see how residents were running, some even had to park their belongings and leave the area tensed and confused as nobody knows what will happen next, but we are yet to get the details of what happened and how many people were killed and how many were wounded.

“Although security operatives have reached the scene with other humanitarian services as well as men of the police anti- bomb squad I am not in a position to give you the detail of casualties yet."

The Nigerian Army was not immediately available for reaction as at press times.

dimeji akinloye