At least six people were killed in multiple bomb blasts that ripped through Maiduguri, the Born state capital.
Officials confirmed that the attacks took place in Shehuri north early Thursday morning. In a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Joint Task Force, Lt. Col. Hassan Mohammed, the team confirmed the killings, adding that members of the Boko Haram sect were thought to be behind the attacks.
JTF said in the statement that the attacks could have resulted due to fractions within the sect, adding that the bombs were Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, and some of the unexploded devices still at the scene were defused by members of the task force.
In other developments, the Borno State Police Command debunked media reports that a soldier and police officer were killed in attacks in the state last week.
PRO for the police force, ASP Samuel Tizhe, said the events transpired thus: “On 30th January, 2012 at about 19:30 hours, three unknown gunmen attacked the house of one Abubakar Gaji of Old Gomari Airport few metres away from the mini- Airforce Barracks in Maiduguri and shot two people.
Tizhe said the unidentified gunmen had stolen a Honda Accord car with registration number AR 428 MAG, and while fleeing the scene shot and killed a man, alleged to be a military personnel, who lived in the mini – Airforce barracks.