From BillyGraham Abel, Yola

No fewer than nine persons were confirmed dead and 14 others hospitalised in an early morning bomb blast in Madagali town in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State. An eye witness who simply identified himself as Baba, said the blast occurred at a temporary motor garage at the entrance of the town.

“We heard three blasts near the checkpoint where people gathered to be screened before entering the town as you know today is market day.

The suicide bombers blew themselves up alongside the two vigilante members that approached them,” Baba said.

Speaking on the development, the member representing Madagali/Michika Federal Constituency, Mr Adamu Kamale, said he got the report but that the information showed that there was no death. “Information available to me showed that there was no death in the blast, except that some people sustained injuries,” Kamale said.

He called for more deployment of troops to comb the Madagali axis of Sambisa, which he said was still habouring insurgents.

When contacted, the Chairman of Madagali Local Government, Alhaji Yusuf Mohammed, also confirmed the incident but said he could not give details because he was not in town.

“I was outside the town for an official engagement but I was called and informed about the incident. That is all I can tell you for now”, Mohammed said.

Recall that on January 4, three female suicide bombers who were on their way to Gulak market in Madagali LGA were intercepted by the vigilante.

The Adamawa State Police Public Relations Officer, Othman Abubakar said “the bombs were detonated by three suicide bombers who killed themselves in the process.” On the number of casualties, the PPRO said, “we cannot at this time confirm the number of casualties.”

Also confirming the incident, the state Coordinator of NEMA, Sa’ad Abubakar Bello, said nine persons died in the incident, while 14 others were receiving medical treatment.

The suicide bomb attack was obviously designed to record maximum casualty like that of 9th December, 2016, which happened on a Friday, Madagali main market day.