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Suicide Bombers Attack Borno Mosque, Three killed, 13 Injured

Published

6 years ago

January 27, 2020

Eric

At least three persons were killed and 13 others injured after two suicide bomber attacked worshipers during early morning prayers in Gwoza town on Sunday, sources said.

Gwoza is the headquarters of a Borno State local government that shares a similar name. It is one of the reclaimed communities that residents returned after it was sacked by Boko Haram in 2014.

It is also one of the local government areas that still has a large presence of the Boko Haram insurgents at its outskirt communities bordering Cameroon.

Yesterday, the residents were woken by a twin explosion after two suspected suicide bombers detonated their deadly vests near a mosque.

The incident occurred in a neighborhood called Guduf Nagadiyo in Bulabaulin in Gwoza.

The attack, which is the first of its kind after a long time, left many residents horrified.

Deadly assault

Security sources said the casualties would have been higher had the suicide bombers made their way into the usually crowded mosque.

The bombers were sighted making an unusual advance toward the mosque, and before worshippers could raise the alarm, the assailants had already gotten to the mosque.

In most northern Muslim communities, early morning congregational prayers are usually attended by males only.

“We thank God that despite their attempts to inflict more damage on lives, they could not gain entry into the mosque, so they ended up exploding outside where there were few persons,” said a local security source who would not mention his name.

“The impact of the two explosions destroyed the mosque but many people were able to pull out of the rubble.

“My ears became blocked for some minutes as I ran out of the mosque towards safety,” said a witness. Among those killed was a 12-year-boy.”

The 13 other injured victims have all been taken to the hospital for treatment.

Suspicious infiltration

The source explained why a highly fortified community like Gwoza could be infiltrated by suicide bombers.

“They (Boko Haram) are still there in large numbers in Bayan Dutse (communities behind Gwoza mountains) near Cameroon,” another source, who is a top member of Civilian-JTF said.

“They can only sneak in when the community has activities that involve the influx of people in large numbers. Like yesterday, there was a big wedding in the palace of the Emir, which could have explained why female suicide bombers could easily sneak into the community.”

The military has not officially commented on the incident.

But sources said the troops of 192 Battalion, Gwoza cordoned off the mosque area after the attack.

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Tinubu Nominates Oyedele As Minister of State for Finance, Moves Anite-Uzoka to Budget Ministry

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, has announced that “President Bola Tinubu has nominated Taiwo Oyedele as the minister of state for finance, replacing Doris Anite-Uzoka.

“Mrs Anite-Uzoka will now move to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as the Minister of State, her third portfolio in the administration.

“President Tinubu has today conveyed the nomination of Mr Oyedele to the Senate for confirmation in a letter to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“Until President Tinubu nominated him as a minister, Mr Oyedele from Ikaram, Akoko, Ondo State, was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which overhauled Nigeria’s tax system.

“Mr Oyedele, 50, is an economist, accountant and public policy expert.

“He attended Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in accountancy and finance. He attended Oxford Brookes University and earned a BSc in applied accounting.

“He also completed executive education programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Mr Oyedele spent 22 years of his working career at PwC, joining in 2001 and rising to become the Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader.

“Mr Oyedele is also a professor at Babcock University in Ogun State and a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School.”

Featured

Defection: Atiku’s Son, Adamu, Resigns As Adamawa Commissioner

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Adamu Abubakar, the first son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has resigned as Adamawa State’s commissioner for works and energy development, days after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Abubakar’s resignation letter, dated 2 March 2026, was addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government. He gave no reason for his departure.

The timing is pointed. Fintiri announced his defection to the APC in a statewide broadcast last Friday, saying his cabinet and the PDP’s state structure had moved with him. Within 24 hours, 22 commissioners and special advisers publicly announced they were following suit. Abubakar, whose father remains one of the PDP’s most prominent national figures, was not among them.

In a statement issued Monday night, Abubakar’s media aide Abdulaziz Jauro said the former commissioner thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and pledged continued loyalty to the administration’s developmental agenda. He also expressed gratitude to his father “for granting him the moral support and blessing to serve the people of Adamawa State” — a line that, read in context, suggests Atiku was consulted on the decision.

Abubakar said his resignation was not a withdrawal from public life. “This does not mark the end of his commitment to public service,” the statement read, “but rather the beginning of new avenues for developmental collaboration.”

The resignation leaves unresolved the question of whether it reflects a political break with the governor over his defection or a personal decision unconnected to the broader party realignment now reshaping Adamawa’s political landscape.

Featured

DSS Nabs Man over Assassination Attempt on Peter Obi

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has detained a man in connection with the recent attack and alleged assassination threats targeting Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

According to AIT, the shooting incident took place on February 24, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State, during a political gathering attended by Obi and several figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The meeting was hosted by former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun. Gunmen reportedly opened fire at the venue, causing panic and forcing attendees to disperse for safety.

According to security sources, shortly after the attack, an individual identified as Udeme Monday Stephen allegedly took to social media claiming responsibility and issuing additional threats against Obi, warning of further violence.

Intelligence officials reportedly initiated swift investigations, employing digital tracing and forensic tools that led to the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect in Rivers State. He is said to be a teacher at a private secondary school in the Eliozu area of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

The suspect remains in DSS custody and is expected to face prosecution. The agency reiterated its commitment to responding to credible threats and safeguarding lives and national interests without bias.