Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole deployed behind Bakassi Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, Damboa road, Maiduguri, on Sunday averted a suicide bomb when it intercepted and killed a male suicide bomber.
Col. Sani Usman, the army spokesman said in a statement that the troops, who were deployed on security duty, killed the bomber, who had attempted to sneak through their inner parapet towards the IDP camp. He said that the incident occurred at about 9.00 a.m.
It will be recalled that suicide bombers killed some nine people close to the camp on Saturday after detonating their explosives. “The vigilant sentry sighted the bomber and laid in wait until the suicide bomber came close.
“The sniper instantly shot and killed the terrorists as he tried to force his way to the western flank of the IDP camp fence. “Unfortunately, the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) vest strapped on the bomber failed to detonate.
“Consequently, a combined team of military and police Explosive Ordinance Device (EOD) have been called to safely detonate the IED,” Usman said. He, however, said the situation at the camp and the general area was calm.