By Joseph Abiodun

•Large explosion rocks city

An Islamic cleric, Goni Ali Gana, was at the weekend killed by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Goni was said to have been shot at 8pm on Saturday in front of his home at Kaleri area of the capital city when he was attending to some guests.
The October 31 deadline given by the Joint Task Force (JTF) for Maiduguri residents and environs to surrender weapons in their possession expires today.
A bomb blast yesterday rocked the troubled Maiduguri in an attack on a military patrol vehicle, the Army and residents said.
Although residents reported seeing an ambulance speeding away from the area, the Army said there were no casualties.
The city has previously been targeted by scores of bombings blamed on Islamist sect Boko Haram.
“There was a bomb attack targeting a military patrol vehicle, but there were no casualties,” said Col. Victor Ebhaleme, commander of operations of the Joint Task Force (JTF).
Residents described a large explosion and one said he saw an ambulance driving at speed away from the area.
“There was a loud explosion,” said resident Hammadi Yakubu. “The explosion was the loudest I’ve heard so far in the city.”
He said “nobody knows the extent of the damage because the area has been cordoned off by soldiers.”
Another resident gave a similar account, speaking of a heavy explosion and smoke billowing.
“The sound was really terrifying,” said Ahmad Gana.
Another resident, Bunu Zarabe, said he saw a siren-blaring ambulance speeding out of the area with a military van behind it.
Residents in the neighbourhood, known as Bulabulin Ngarnam, were later said to be fleeing the area for fear of a military raid in response to the blast.
Soldiers have, in the past, been accused of rampaging through neighbourhoods after such explosions, killing residents, burning homes and claiming that residents collaborated with the sect.
Maiduguri has been hit by scores of attacks blamed on Boko Haram, which also claimed responsibility for the August suicide bombing of UN headquarters in Abuja that killed at least 24 people.

via The Nation

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