At least 12 people were killed Wednesday in twin suicide bomb attacks in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri.

 VOA’s Hausa service reports the explosions struck the Muna Garage area of the Borno state capital — a market used largely by internally displaced persons from a nearby camp.

 At least one of the attackers was female, according to witnesses.

 No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the militant group Boko Haram frequently carries out attacks in the Muna Garage area, and also has been known to use young women and girls as suicide bombers.

 Also, Wednesday, two Americans and two Canadians reportedly were kidnapped in Kaduna state, in central Nigeria, while travelling to the capital city of Abuja. The foreigners were ambushed by unknown gunmen, and two police officers were killed in the exchange, Reuters reported.

 Boko Haram, an Islamic radical group that formed in Maiduguri, has killed more than 20,000 people in its nine-year insurgency.</s>An injured girl is being assisted by rescue workers after two male suicide bombers detonated the bombs at a market near Muna Garage Maiduguri, Nigeria January 17, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers killed 12 people and injured 48 others in an attack on Wednesday on the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, officials from the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for Borno said.

In recent weeks, Nigeria’s military has embarked on an offensive against the Islamist insurgency in the northeastern state of Borno, the epicenter for much of the conflict, which began in 2009.

That has not stopped Boko Haram’s attacks, which target both civilians and the military.

Two bombers struck a market in the Muna Garage area on the outskirts of Maiduguri late on Wednesday afternoon, the SEMA officials said.

Muna Garage is the site of a camp for displaced people and a frequent target of Boko Haram attacks.

In the wake of the attack, the smell of burned blood lingered while parts of the market were still ablaze, according to a Reuters witness.

On Monday, a Boko Haram faction released a video purporting to show some of the girls kidnapped from the town of Chibok nearly four years ago, as well as a downed Nigerian military aircraft and a group of policewomen abducted last year.</s>MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers killed 12 people and injured 48 others in an attack on Wednesday on the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, officials from the State Emergency Management Agency for Borno said.

Two bombers struck the Muna Garage area on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the epicentre of the conflict with the Islamist insurgency, late on Wednesday afternoon, said the officials.

Muna Garage is the site of a camp for displaced people and a frequent target of Boko Haram attacks.</s>At least 12 persons were killed on Wednesday after two male suicide bombers detonated their explosives in Muna Garage Market Maiduguri, Borno State capital.

Deafening blasts were heard echoing over the Maiduguri metropolis as the suspected Boko Haram attackers let go their explosives.

According to a member of the Civilian JTF, 48 others were also injured in the blast.

The Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria has caused about 100,000 deaths since 2009.</s>MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) - A double suicide bombing at a market in Nigeria's northern city of Maiduguri killed at least 12 people and wounded 48 others on Wednesday, residents and an emergency official said.

Ibrahim Usman, a trader in Muna Garage market, said the first bomber attacked inside the market while the other remained outside, killing only himself.

"Suddenly there was a loud bang and everywhere became disorganized," he said. "I counted 12 corpses and over 40 injured victims."

The head of rescue operations for the State Emergency Management Agency, Bello Dambatta, said a female bomber attacked the market while the other attacker was male.

Muna Garage, the site of a camp for displaced people, has been attacked several times in the past few years by Boko Haram insurgents. Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, has been a refuge for thousands of people displaced by the insurgency in Nigeria's northeast.

Boko Haram, which was formed in Maiduguri, has killed more than 20,000 people in its nine-year insurgency. The Islamic extremist group has used a growing number of women and children as suicide bombers, often after abducting and indoctrinating them, in recent months.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari in his New Year's address again claimed that Boko Haram had been largely defeated. That came a year after he declared that the extremist group had been "crushed" following a military effort to flush the fighters from their forest strongholds.

A series of deadly attacks in Maiduguri and elsewhere followed last year.

The insurgency has displaced millions of people, creating one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, and staged attacks in neighboring countries participating in a military operation against it.

Boko Haram wants to set aside Nigeria's constitution and replace it with Shariah law.</s>MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Residents and an emergency official say a double suicide bombing at a market in Nigeria’s northern city of Maiduguri has killed at least 12 people and wounded 48 others.

Ibrahim Usman, a trader in Muna Garage market, says the attack happened Wednesday afternoon. He says the first bomber attacked inside the market while the other remained outside, killing only himself.

The head of rescue operations for the State Emergency Management Agency, Bello Dambatta, says a female bomber attacked the market while the other attacker was male.

Muna Garage, the site of a camp for displaced people, has been attacked several times in the past few years by Boko Haram insurgents.

Boko Haram, which was formed in Maiduguri, has killed more than 20,000 people in its nine-year insurgency.</s>No fewer than12 people were killed and 48 wounded in a suicide bomb attack in Maiduguri on Wednesday. Eyewitnesses told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the mayhem was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), detonated by a male suicide bomber at Alai Fadawu market on the outskirts of Maiduguri.

Ibrahim Usman, a trader in Muna Garage market, said the first bomber attacked inside the market while the other remained outside, killing only himself. The witnesses said the incident occurred at 4.15 p.m. when people gathered for trading activities.

The head of rescue operations for the State Emergency Management Agency, Bello Dambatta, says a female bomber attacked the market while the other attacker was male.The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Daminian Chukwu, confirmed the incident.

Chukwu said that a male suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at a crowded market killing himself and 10 other persons.“One other suicide bomber out of panic detonated the explosive and blew himself into pieces.”Chukwu disclosed that the corpses and the wounded persons were evacuated to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

The commissioner called on the people to be vigilant and report suspicious persons in their communities to security agencies.“People should be vigilant because Boko Haram insurgents have not surrendered,” he warned.

The incident was the first suicide bomb attack in Maiduguri since the beginning of the year.Muna Garage, an internally displace camp, has been attacked several times in the past few years by Boko Haram insurgents.

Also, the state government has reviewed the curfew in the metropolis to be observed between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.The curfew is to enable the military to complete the ongoing clearance operation against remnants of the insurgents.

Meanwhile, the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj-Gen Rogers Nicholas, has charged troops on counter-insurgency to get prepared and end Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.Nicholas gave the charge yesterday, while addressing troops at Damasak, Gubio and Kareto operational military bases in northern Borno.

He said the Nigerian military authorities, are much more determined to end the Boko Haram war very soon.“I urged all of you here to prepare for the challenges to end this war. You must be professionals in defeating Boko Haram insurgents.“We are going into the last phase of the fight against insurgency. We must do everything possible to end this war and go back to our barracks.

“We have been here long enough. Let us do everything possible to end Boko Haram and focus on other roles.’’In another development, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has claimed that one of its Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) on Monday successfully destroyed a Boko Haram vehicle workshop, killing many of the insurgents in the process at the Sambisa general area

A statement by the spokesman, Air Vice Marshal, Olatokunbo Adesanya in Abuja, yesterday said the NAF Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform had previously discovered that Boko Haram vehicles were parked in the location.

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This post was syndicated from The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper – Nigeria and World News. Click here to read the full text on the original website.</s>MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — 12 killed, 48 others wounded in double suicide attack at market in Nigeria's Maiduguri city.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>At least 12 people have been killed and 48 others injured after a double suicide bombing at a market in Nigeria’s northern city of Maiduguri.

Witnesses said the attack happened on Wednesday afternoon, with one bomber striking inside the market while the other remained outside, killing only himself.

The head of rescue operations for the State Emergency Management Agency, Bello Dambatta, said a female bomber attacked the market while the other attacker was male.

Muna Garage, the site of a camp for displaced people, has been attacked several times in the past few years by Boko Haram insurgents.

Boko Haram, which was formed in Maiduguri, has killed more than 20,000 people in its nine-year insurgency.</s>MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) - Nigeria’s army released 244 Boko Haram suspects who have denounced their membership in the deadly extremist group, Nigerian army officials said Tuesday.

Those released Monday included 118 adult males, 56 women, 19 teens and 51 children, according to operation commander Maj. Gen. Rogers Nicholas, who said they were freed after participating in a de-radicalization program.

One of the released females said she was accused of being a cook for Boko Haram and was held by Nigerian authorities for about a year.

Nigeria is trying to show it is making progress against the extremist group that has killed more than 20,000 people during its eight-year insurgency. Nigeria has arrested thousands of suspected Boko Haram members in recent years and is holding them in overcrowded military detention facilities.

Human rights groups say most of those detained have been picked up at random and without reasonable suspicion, including women and children. Former detainees have described malnutrition, mistreatment and deaths in the facilities.

The public release Monday of the ex-Boko Haram suspects at the military barracks in Maiduguri was done to mark Nigeria’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day. Young men were paraded at the event in Maiduguri, telling the state governor they have turned a new leaf and are ready to help provide the government with information.

Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima commended the military its ongoing efforts against Boko Haram.

Nigeria’s government set up a de-radicalization program in 2016 for arrested Boko Haram fighters who wanted to quit the group. The program houses ex-Boko Haram insurgents in a military-controlled facility where they participate in exercises to rehabilitate them. They are granted amnesty if they denounce Boko Haram’s radical ideologies.

Last year more than 800 Boko Haram fighters participated in the de-radicalization program under the Safe Corridor Initiative, said Nigeria’s defense chief Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin.

The freedom granted to the 244 people came the same day Boko Haram’s main leader, Abubakar Shekau, released a video in which he claimed none of the Chibok girls still held by Boko Haram would ever be found. He said his group last year “willingly” released 107 schoolgirls who refused to accept his creed, but the estimated 100 who remain are pleased to stay with Boko Haram.

He also mocked the parents of the remaining missing girls, saying they should consider his members as their sons-in-law because the girls are “happily” married to Boko Haram fighters.

The video purportedly showed some of the girls telling their parents to join them in their new faith because “our father Abubakar Shekau has married us off to our husbands and he also ensures that we are well taken care of.”

The clip also showed images of military vehicles, armored tanks and a helicopter that Shekau claimed his men had destroyed during a shootout last week.

Boko Haram, Nigeria’s homegrown extreme Islamic militia, wants to set aside the country’s constitution and replace it with Shariah law. Since launching its violent campaign in 2009, Boko Haram has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions and staged attacks in neighboring countries participating in a military operation against it.
Suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers kill 12 people and injure 48 others, in Maiduguri, Nigeria.