Borno Commissioner – Suicide Bomber Begged For Alms Before Detonating Explosive

Sugum Mai Mele, Commissioner of Local Government and Emirates Affairs in Borno, has disclosed that one of the suicide bombers involved in the recent attacks in Gwoza LGA begged for alms before detonating her explosive device.

On Saturday, June 29, four suicide bombers carried out attacks at various locations within Gwoza. Speaking on Channels TV on Monday, July 1, Mele explained that the bombers “smuggled” themselves into the town by passing through military gates disguised as farmers.

The attacks targeted people attending a wedding and a funeral, resulting in 32 confirmed fatalities and numerous serious injuries. Commenting on the incident, Mele said;

“The farmers usually go to their farms in the morning. They pass through the military gates while going and coming back from their farms. The suicide bombers smuggled in through the women who came back from the farms.

“There is some laxity on the part of the screening exercise. Before now, when the farmers were going out, they issued tax and would be registered.

“In the evening, when they come back, it will be marked in the register that they have come in. Anybody who didn’t come in after the closing hours should be arrested or not allowed to go in.

“What happened in Gwoza was that these women entered the town in the guise of being farmers. I learnt that one of them was even carrying a baby.

“She went to the venue of that incident. She was begging and people have even started giving her some incentives — N20, N50, and N100.

“She had been collecting alms in the name of a beggar. So suddenly, she now detonated the bomb. This is what is happening.”