BOKO HARAM STILL@WORK: Death toll in Yola suicide bomb attack hits 45

The death toll in a suicide bombing at a market in Yola, Adamawa State, rose to 45 on Friday, authorities said. There was no claim of responsibility for the attack but it bore the hallmarks of the Boko Haram sect. The suicide bomber struck at about 7pm on Thursday in the Jimeta District of Yola. “Ten more people died this morning,” police spokesman Othman Abubakar told Reuters, adding to the 35 bodies that a senior policeman, who wanted to remain anonymous, earlier said he had seen at the bomb scene. Around 40 people were wounded, Abubakar said. The Public Relations Officer of the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, Mallam Muhammadu Dodo, told journalists that 31 corpses were evacuated from the scene of the blast. He said 22 casualties are currently on admission at the medical centre. Dodo, however, urged members of the public to come to the aid of the victims by donating blood to assist in their treatment. Meanwhile, two suicide bombers were among the terrorists killed on Thursday by troops at Shetimari, Borno State. Over 12 rifles and one machine gun and other weapons were recovered from the attackers. A statement in Abuja on Friday by the Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said troops were still combing the area while others were pursuing those on the run. The statement said suicide bomb attacks were also recorded in Jimeta, Yola and Maiduguri, adding that details of the incidents would be released later. The offensive operations in Sambisa and other forest enclaves of the terrorists are continuing with intelligence activities, aerial surveillance and highly coordinated air bombardment backed by ground assaults.