Two teenage girls, both armed with explosives vests around their
bodies, were intercepted by security personnel near a mega fuel
filling in Maiduguri, Borno State, while attempting to carry out an
attack on the city, police said.
Police spokesman, Victor Isuku, a deputy superintendent of Police who
confirmed the incident, said one of the girls was shot dead while
trying to escape arrest. The second girl surrendered and was arrested
by security operatives stationed near the Nigeria National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) mega station along Maiduguri-Biu road.
“They were intercepted by security personnel on duty. One was
arrested and the other one was shot dead. EOD personnel were quickly
drafted to the scene and rendered the area safe,” he said.
The NNPC mega station has in the past week been quite busy as
motorists file out on long queue amid rumour of likely fuel scarcity.
Residents have commended the troops for saving them from what would
have turned out a major calamity had the explosives worn by the girls
gone off near the city’s largest fuel station.
“We really thank God and commend the security people for being very
vigilant and proactive in spotting the suicide bombers on time”, said
one Sammaila Bashir, a motorists who claimed to have witnessed the
incident.
“If they were not spotted on time, who knows their destination
especially as they were seen behind the NNPC mega station,” he said.
