Another improvised explosive device on Wednesday evening exploded in the city of Maiduguri, killing scores of people and leaving many injured, local sources said.
The blast occurred at about 05:20pm at an area of timber sheds along Baga Road in the metropolis a few kilometres from Maimalari Barracks of the 7th Division of the Nigeria army.
A resident, Babagana Kana, told SaharaReporters by phone, ''We heard loud explosions in the timber sheds area about 100 metres away from sector 1 command, shortly soldiers started shooting so everyone fled. I couldn't wait to ascertain the number of casualties.”
A local trader at Baga market said he saw several injured persons, following which police, medical ambulances and military vehicles were also seen heading toward Maimalari Barracks.
''I saw some people with injures even as well as blood stains on their clothes, asking people to help them so I believe many may have been [killed],'' Tahiru Danlami said.
Similarly, a top military source disclosed that some troops intercepted suspected Boko Haram insurgents in two cars on Monguno road on the outskirts of the Maiduguri also on Wednesday evening.
"The drivers of the two cars: a Siena and a Golf, were speeding and refused to stop at a military check point there. Then soldiers opened fire on them to halt their movement but the two cars exploded immediately,” he said.
A top military source confirmed that the cars were loaded with IED possibly meant for other attacks in Maiduguri. Two drivers and two other passengers, a male and a female, died in the car explosions.
There have been a number of similar explosions in Maiduguri in the past few days. At his inauguration last Friday, President Muhammadu Buhari announced he would be relocating the army’s central command to the city to help confront the insurgency.