Teen suicide bomber kills father, nine people in Nigeria
Wednesday January 03 2018
People stand among the damage following an attack on a mosque in the town of Gamboru in Borno state, Nigeria, January 3, 2018. PHOTO | REUTERS
A suicide bomber killed his father and nine other people in an early morning attack on a mosque in Gamboru-Ngala, Borno State in northeast Nigeria, military officials and a local said.
The bomber, identified as a teenage boy, detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) strapped to his body during dawn prayers on Wednesday.
Military officials said 10 people were killed in the attack near the border with Cameroon.
“We also neutralised another suicide bomber in Rann,” Maj Gen Rogers Nicolas said.
Rann is also in Borno State, the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency, and is located about 38km west of Gamboru-Ngala.
Mr Lawan Abba, a Gamboru resident, said six others sustained injuries and were receiving treatment at a nearby internally displaced persons (IDP) clinic.
Mr Abba said the bomber hailed from Gamboru town and that his father was among the worshippers at the mosque who died.
“The suicide bomber disowned his parents and joined the insurgents in the bush.
“He entered the mosque blew up himself into pieces and killed 10 persons including his biological father,” he said.
Boko Haram Islamist insurgency has left at least 20,000 people dead and displaced more than 2.6 million. The insurgency against the government of Nigeria began in 2009 and has spread into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.