Bomb explosion hits Maiduguri checkpoint

Some members of the Civilian-JTF escaped death narrowly on Monday when an explosive device believed to have been hidden very close to a checkpoint exploded injuring a number of them.

A witness said the blast occurred at Njimtilo, a village few kilometres to the gate of Maiduguri, where soldiers, customs and immigration officers, police and members of the Civilian-JTF mount one of the biggest checkpoints in the city.

“The blast occurred at 12:30pm at the Njimtilo checkpoint; no one was reported dead but some Civilian-JTF members were injured,” said a plain clothes police officer, whose name cannot be mentioned as he was not officially cleared to speak. “It was not a suicide bomb from what I observed. I guess the bomb was either buried or dropped near the place.”

As at the time of filing this report, emergency aide workers, including NEMA had arrived the spot to evacuate the injured to the hospital.