Few hours after Abubakar Shekau, the shadowy leader of the Boko Haram sect taunted the Nigeria Army in a fresh audio, multiple explosions rocked Ajilari Railway cross of Gomari Airport ward of Maiduguri Sunday evening leaving scores of people dead and critically wounded.
Sources living around the affected areas said the explosions, believed to have been carried out by suicide bombers occurred simultaneously at about 7:38pm, while the last one took place at about 8pm.
According to reports, the blasts prompted many residents to flee into the Borno State capital for safety.
Ajilari Cross is on the outskirts of Maiduguri and has been on the receiving end of a number of previous Boko Haram attacks.
Shekau had released an audio recording not only dismissing claims of successes against his group by the Nigerian military but also insisting that the military would not be able to meet the three months deadline given them to eradicate the militant group.
The Nigerian army confirmed the blasts in a statement by Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, Acting Director Army Public Relations, stating however that the attacks signify high level of desperation on the part of the Boko Haram terrorists.
“Security personnel and emergency management teams have been drafted to the area and appropriate security measures being taken.
“We would like to state that the Nigerian military would not be deterred in its determined efforts of defeating Boko Haram terrorists in the shortest possible time.
“We would like to assure the public also that now the terrorists have shown their ugly presence in such areas, there is need for more vigilance, security consciousness and prompt reporting of suspicious persons or group of persons in their midst. This would enable the security take appropriate measures against them,” the statement stressed.
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