Three persons were killed while seven others sustained various degrees of injuries when the joint patrol team of the Nigeria police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) reportedly threw a grenade at a petrol station in Maiduguri.
An eye witness recounted on the condition of anonymity that the joint patrol team first shot a tear gas canister at the petrol station before throwing the grenade, which exploded and killed the victim and injured the others at Kime Petrol Station at Bolori Junction area of the capital city.
“ The police shot some petrol pump attendants at Kime filling Station, 3 confirmed deaths. Some are receiving medical attention at Yerwa Peace Clinic and Kaltum Hospital in Bolori. These are not even protesters. They are guards of the filling station,” the eyewitness said.
Meanwhile, while addressing journalists, Borno State commissioner for information and internal security, Prof Usman Tar, said the curfew declared is indefinite until normalcy returns in the state.
He said the risk of infiltration by violent non-state actors is always there and that it has already happened, stressing that to avert any future infiltration, as witnessed in a community in Konduga local government, where improvised explosive devices exploded and killed 16 persons and injured over 20 others at a tea joint.
“ Good afternoon, members of the press. The Borno State government has declared an indefinite curfew in light of the security challenges.
“ As you are aware, some people came out to protest in the streets this morning. On the eve of this protest, the Boko Haram terrorists attacked the Kawuri community in Konduga local government, where 16 persons lost their lives, and 20 others sustained various degrees of injuries. They are receiving treatment at the state’s specialist hospital.
“ This is exactly what the Borno government fears. The risk of infiltration by violent non-state actors is always there, and it has already happened. To avert any future infiltration by the violent non-state actors, the Borno government has decided to impose the curfew.
“ We call on our citizens to remain calm while we execute the curfew. The curfew shall be lifted as soon as normalcy returns. Meanwhile, the Borno State government is taking all necessary actions to ease the people’s suffering.
“ His excellency, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum, is working round the clock to ease the suffering of our people. We call on the media to exercise restraint and follow ethical principles in their reporting. They should not report fake news but be guided by the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) guidelines,” Prof Tar said.
