Death Toll From Maiduguri Blast Hits 28 As Gov Zulum Visits Victims

Borno State governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, on Thursday night visited victims of  the Monday evening triple suicide bomb attacks in Maiduguri to console them.

The governor who visited the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) and the State Specialist Hospital where the suicide bomb victims were receiving medical attention, described the attacks as sad disaster that will not occur again, assuring residents that the worst is over.

Our correspondent reports that the suicide bomb attacks occurred simultaneously at the Monday Market, the Post Office area and the entrance of the UMTH entrance, with about 25 lives lost before the toll rose to 28 as at the time of the governor’s visit.

Zulum, who was in Saudi Arabia for Lesser Hajj when the attacks occurred, further assured residents that Borno will never fall back to the terrorists as witnessed in the past.

“I want to sympathise with the families of those that lost their lives and assure them that government will support them.

“Borno State government will shoulder the responsibility of all those that are being treated in the hospitals. God will repose the souls of those who lost their lives,” he said.

He commended Vice President Kashim Shettima for visiting the victims recuperating at the hospital, describing the gesture as a commitment to leadership.

The governor equally commended the service chiefs for visiting the State noting that they are doing their best.

He told newsmen that sequel to the recent attacks, the federal government under President Bola Tinubu released a huge amount of money to the Nigerian military, particularly the Multi-National Joint Taskforce (MNJTF), for clearance operations in the shores of Lake Chad, and believed that most of the monies were meant to address the lingering insecurity in the Northeast.

Earlier, conducting Governor Zulum round the injured receiving treatment at the UMTH Trauma Centre, the medical doctor in charge, Dr Bukar Bunu, said the hospital received 110 patients from the blast.

He said they include 22 that were brought in dead and 6 persons that later died.

“We admitted 82 and successfully treated and discharged 32 and right now we have 50 patients on admission,” Dr Bunu said.