Nigeria’s Maiduguri University Bombed

Founded in 1975, the University of Maiduguri is one of the country’s chief higher-education institutions, and is described as a serene learning environment.

This tranquility was obliterated at approximately 5AM this morning when two bombs detonated at the university campus, located in Borno State, northeast Nigeria.

So far, four people have perished and many more feared dead.

One of the bombs that exploded destroyed the mosque where staff were observing the Fajr Prayer, also known as the dawn prayer.

A female student, who has requested to remain anonymous, said that her father, a university staff member, was lucky enough to have exited the mosque minutes before the blast, however:

“…many of his colleagues like Professor Mani and other senior staffers have either been killed or badly injured. When we tried going to the scene of the blast, everywhere was covered with shredded human flesh and blood. Most of the bodies are being taken to the Teaching Hospital while others were rushed to the school clinic”.

The other bomb went off at one of the entrance gates. According to police spokesman, Victor Isuku, a deputy superintendent of police made a statement saying:

“At about 0515hrs of today, a police mobile force personnel on duty near gate 4 at the back of university of Maiduguri, gunned down a female suicide bomber of about 12yrs old, who was trying to infiltrate the university premises, and the IED strapped to her body exploded killing her instantly”.

No one has yet taken responsibility for this horrific attack. However, many are already blaming Islamic extremist group, Boko Haram, not only for the known use of young female suicide bombers, but also because their name translates to “western education is forbidden”.

To date, Boko Haram have taken more than 20 000 lives.

[Image sourced at Nairaland Forum on 16 Jan 2017 at http://www.nairaland.com.]