Borno Governor Zulum Warns of Eid Suicide Bombers

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has urged residents of Maiduguri to stay extra vigilant during today’s Eid al-Fitr prayers following fresh intelligence on two suspected suicide bombers planning attacks in the city.

In an interview monitored on BBC Hausa Service in Damaturu, the governor said security agencies have credible information that the bombers are lurking around. “We have intelligence that there are two suicide bombers lurking around to carry out attacks, and we are calling on all our people to remain vigilant,” Zulum stated.

He explained that Boko Haram fighters, though under heavy military pressure, could strike Maiduguri as a desperate diversion. The governor, however, assured that such attempts would fail because security forces remain firmly in control.

This warning comes barely three days after Monday’s triple suicide bombings that killed at least 23 people and injured over 108 others in Maiduguri. The blasts struck the gate of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Monday Market and the Post Office area almost simultaneously around 7pm.

NaijaChoice News reports that Governor Zulum was performing lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia when the attacks happened. Through his Special Adviser on Media, Dauda Iliya, he described the explosions as “despicable, cruel and cowardly,” targeting innocent worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.

On Friday, after returning home, Zulum visited victims receiving treatment in hospital. He commended the Federal Government for releasing funds for clearance operations around Lake Chad fringes and ordering Service Chiefs to immediately relocate to Maiduguri to strengthen security.

The governor reassured families of the dead and injured of full government support. He also stressed that security agencies are committed to crushing the insurgency across Borno and the entire North-East.

Residents have been advised to report any suspicious movement to security operatives without delay. Authorities say adequate measures are already in place to protect places of worship and public spaces during the Eid celebrations.

Security sources told NaijaChoice News that troops and other agencies are on red alert across the state capital to ensure the Eid period passes peacefully.