Within 24 hours, bombs detonated on two separate occasions in Nigeria killing dozens and injuring over 100 people, Reuters reported. Although no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, Boko Haram is suspected of being responsible.
The first explosion reportedly occurred at around 8 p.m. in the northeastern city of Yola. The blast went off near an area containing a livestock market, a mosque, and an eatery, according to Red Cross official Aliyu Maikano. Another Red Cross worker said that at least 32 people were found dead and 80 were injured.
“The ground near my shop was covered with dead bodies. I helped to load 32 dead bodies into five vehicles,” Alhaji Ahmed, a witness to the tragedy, told Reuters.
Reports say it is unclear whether the bombing was the result of a suicide bomber or a planted device.
The next catastrophe took place in Kano, a city approximately 400 miles northwest of Yola. Two suicide bombers, who were girls ages 11 and 18, according to Kano State Police Commissioner Muhammad Musa Katsina, set off their bombs at around 4 p.m. in a mobile phone market amid the peak of trading. Fifteen were killed and at least 123 were injured, according to CNN.
Muslim extremist group Boko Haram, which has launched continuous terror attacks with the purpose of gaining a state that follows Sharia law, are highly suspected of committing these recent crimes. The group killed 185 people during an attack at the same market in Kano in January 2012.
Boko Haram has killed thousands of people in northeastern Nigeria within 6 years and has steadily attacked nearby countries Chad, Niger and Cameroon since 2009.
