By Sam Kayode
Twenty-five residents were feared killed in Gwoza, about 100km from Maiduguri, as multiple explosions wreaked havoc on guests during massive weddings in the town on Saturday .
Impeccable sources said the victims lost their lives at the three locations before the military shut down the council headquarters with a curfew at dusk which kept residents indoors from late evening on Saturday.
One of the explosions was let off by a female bomber that actually targeted just one venue while other bombers were let loose on two other locations in the town which was filled to the brim for the well advertised celebration of the wedding of a driver in one of the Borno state non governmental organisations (NGOs).
Several residents were also said to have suffered several degrees of injuries and were first taken to the Gwoza general hospital before later being rushed to the specialist hospital Maiduguri.
Sources told this reporter that it was while sympathisers were going to bury the wedding guests that the second and third blasts happened injuring many others amounting to over fifty of them.
A survivor who spoke to security sources said that the bomber was carrying a baby on her back and behaved like a beger looking for food from the wedding that she stormed the venue and detonated the IED on the attendees.
The wedding which was that of a popular driver of a non governmental organization was held on Saturday in Gwoza not too far from Tashan Mararaba near the Fire Service center.
“The first bomb exploded around 4 pm today at Bakin Mararaba where bicycles are sold around the central market area.
While the second explosion took place at Hausari, at the scene of the funeral prayers of one of the victims.
“The number of dead persons were believed to be over 25 as at the time of writing this report but because the military cordoned the third patch of the explosion it was difficult for us to put the total figure together but we are waiting for the first light to know how many have perished but we are sure that several residents have been injured well over fifty were rushed to the general hospital to receive treatments today” said our source
Meanwhile, a top military source who preferred annonimity said both the military and other security agencies within the Hadin Kai theatre have taken over the main streets of Gwoza and crevices of the council headquarters.
Borno State police spokesperson Daso Nahum confirmed the incident which stated at about 3pm Saturday in Gwoza.
