50 die in Gombe market bombings

No fewer than 50 people were killed and many
others injured when two bombs went off in
Gombe central market, where customers were
making last-minute Ramadan shopping on
Thursday evening.
An eyewitness, Mallam Ibrahim Mohammed, who
sells oranges in the market, told newsmen that
the first bomb went off at exactly 5:20pm with
the second exploding a few metres away from
where the first went off.
Narrating his experience amid tears, the
distraught young man said he saw about 50
dead bodies.
A member of the Nigeria Red Cross Society, who
pleaded anonymity, said he counted about 48
dead bodies and that the corpses were deposited
at the mortuary of the Specialist Hospital and
Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe.
Gombe State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kudu
Nma, confirmed the incident.
He said, “There was a bomb blast. The (bomber)
was either on a suicide mission or (may be) the
bombs were kept somewhere with the view to
causing panic and apprehension to people.”
According to him, the bomb exploded at the
Sabon Layi footwear market.
“People were busy shopping in preparation for
the Sallah festival. The casualties are yet to be
ascertained. As you can see, people are busy
working, trying to save lives; for now we cannot
tell you the number of casualties,” the police
commissioner said.
He said the police had condoned off the place to
avoid looting, adding that relative calm had
returned to the area.
Nma called on the public to be vigilant and
report any suspicious movement to security
agents.