Tinubu, US Condemn ‘Horrific’ Borno Blasts, Mourn Victims

President Bola Tinubu has condemned Saturday’s suicide bomb blast in Borno State, describing it as a desperate act of terror.

18 people were killed when four suicide bombers set off improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Gwoza, the North-Eastern state.

Hours later, the Presidency issued a statement, commiserating with the victims’ families as well as the Borno State Government.

In a statement on Sunday, presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, conveyed the President’s condolence message.

“President Tinubu describes the attacks as desperate acts of terror and a clear manifestation of the pressure mounted against terrorists and the success achieved in degrading their capacity to launch offensives,” the statement read.

Tinubu said that the “purveyors of wanton violence shall have a certain encounter with justice and that these cowardly attacks are only but an isolated episode as his government will not allow the nation to slither into an era of fear, tears, sorrow, and blood.”

The Commander-in-Chief maintained that his administration is taking necessary measures to secure citizens, stressing that efforts will be redoubled to ensure that those who trouble the nation, dispatching precious lives, and disrupting law and order are completely removed.

Horrific
Toeing a similar path, the United States Government condemned the attack, describing it as horrific.

“The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the horrific attacks that took place in Gwoza, Borno State on June 29. These reprehensible acts of violence show a cruel and heartless disregard for human life,” the Mission said in a Sunday message.

“We offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed and wish a full recovery to the injured. These abhorrent attacks are a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by terrorism in the region.”

It also reiterated the Mission’s commitment to collaborate with the Nigerian government to defeat terrorism and bring the perpetrators of these heinous acts to justice.

Recent Deadly Attack
Saturday’s attack is one of the deadliest reported in the state in recent months. It also injured more than 30 persons. The degree of injuries ranges from abdominal ruptures to skull and limb fractures.

The Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Barkindo Saidu, said he witnessed the first blast.

“In my presence, at about 3 pm, the first bomb blast in Gwoza occurred, detonated by a female suicide bomber during the marriage ceremony celebration,” he wrote in a situation report later in the day.

“It affected more than 30 persons with various levels of injuries and instant death. Some minutes later, another blast occurred around General Hospital.”

The wedding was held at Tashan Mararaba near the Fire Service in Gwoza town.

The military has imposed a curfew in Gwoza LGA in the wake of the attacks.