SAD: Gombe Twin Bomb Blast Claims 50 Lives

The people of Gombe state were ushered into a bitter sallah celebration as twin bomb blasts hit the main market, leaving about 50 people dead  and many others injured.


An eyewitness who claimed to be among the first to arrive at the scene said, “I saw with my eyes and counted about 46 dead bodies.

“There were other bodies blasted into pieces and you know I cannot count and ascertain how many bodies they were.”

Malam Musa Mohammed, an orange seller whose stand is close to the scene said his son, an apprentice at a nearby shoe shop was injured but two of his colleagues died.

He said the blast went off at a kitchen utensils shop and everyone in the shop died; “The shop owner, his boys and their clients, but I cannot tell how many they were.“

Two other sources which claimed they were a few kilometres short of the scene said there was a third blast but that it was weak and could not cause any damage.

They said that would have affected them because it was close to where they stood to view the havoc wrecked by the other two.

Confirming the incident at the State Specialist Hospital, Gombe state Commissioner of Police, Kudu Nma Abdullahi said it was a twin bomb blast that occurred around 5:20 pm at Gombe main market

“We got information of a twin blast. Ostensibly that means there is a bomb blast. Either it was a suicide mission or an I.E.D.  (Improvised explosive device) kept somewhere at the main market where they sell slippers and wears.

“I think people were busy doing their shopping, preparatory to tomorrow’s sallah festival”.

He said the place had been cordoned off to avoid hoodlums capitalising on the situation to loot people’s shops.

He said no arrest had been made but that the situation was relatively under control

He called on residence to continue to maintain vigilance, reiterating the need for people to continually remain suspicious of the movement of people they do not know.

“Anything they suspect, they should quickly raise an alarm or inform the security agents so that we can come in immediately”.


Thisday