Girl suicide bomber kills five, wounds dozens in northeast Nigeria

A young girl with explosives strapped to her killed five people and wounded dozens at a security checkpoint outside a market in the northeast Nigerian town of Potiskum on Sunday, witnesses said. “(She) refused to be checked at the gate to the market and an argument ensued,” said witness Ibrahim Maishago. Witnesses described the bomber as a “small girl”, estimating that she could not have been more than eight years old. No one claimed responsibility for the bombing, which bore the hallmarks of Islamist militant group Boko Haram. The insurgents have suffered a string of defeats in a military offensive by Nigeria and neighbours Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

So far, five people were killed with the girl while 19 others have been taken to hospital for injuries.

Buba Lawa, a local vigilante leader

The attack occurred at around 1.30 pm (1230 GMT) during peak hours of business, traders said. Sunday’s incident was the second such suicide attack around the same market, where new and second-hand phones are sold and repaired. The first attack occurred January 11, when two suicide bombers, one of them appearing to be around 15 years old, blew themselves up outside the market. The attack killed six and injured 37 others.

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