One of the victims of Monday night’s explosion in Maiduguri, Borno State, Abacha Mustapha, has recounted the terrifying moment the blast went off, leaving him seriously injured.
Speaking with DailyTrust from his hospital bed on Tuesday at Umaru Shehu Hospital, Mustapha said he was preparing to leave the market after the day’s activities when the explosion occurred.
“We broke our fast and were about to leave after closing our shops when the first bomb detonated. I heard a loud sound, and suddenly my neck started bleeding,” he said.
The blast threw people into chaos as traders and residents scrambled for safety.
“It was chaotic. People were running in different directions. Some fell, others were shouting. I couldn’t even understand what had happened at first,” he added.
Mustapha said his brother, who was with him at the time, quickly came to his aid.
“My brother used his cloth to tie my neck to stop the bleeding before rushing me to the hospital. If not for him, I don’t know what would have happened,” he said.
Medical personnel at the hospital confirmed that several victims were brought in with varying injuries, including shrapnel wounds and burns.
Eyewitnesses said the blast struck at a busy time when traders were closing for the day, and residents were returning home after breaking their fast.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army raised the alarm over the possible deployment of multiple suicide bombers in Maiduguri, urging residents to avoid crowded places.
Monday’s coordinated attacks reportedly killed 23 people and injured 108 others.
Media Information Officer of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Sanni Uba, said the attacks targeted crowded public areas to inflict mass casualties and create panic, identifying the affected locations as the Post Office area, Monday Market axis, and the entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
The Borno State Police Command confirmed the incident, noting that security operatives immediately secured the scenes.
“The scenes were immediately secured, cordoned off, and subjected to thorough sweep operations by Police Explosive Ordnance (EOD) Unit Base 13 Maiduguri to rule out the presence of any additional threats,” said the Police Public Relations Officer, Nahum Daso.