One professor and four other persons were on Monday killed in a suicide bomb attack targeted at the Senior Staff Quarters of the University of Maiduguri, (UNIMAID), Borno State.
Alhaji Satomi Ahmed, the Chairman of State Emergency Management Agency(SEMA) in the state identified the deceased professor as the Director of Veterinary Science of the University, Aliyu Usman Mani.
The Commissioner of Police(CP), Damian Chukwu, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Maiduguri.
Chukwu said that 15 persons, who sustained various degrees of injuries were rushed to hospital.
“At about 5:45 a.m. a mobile police officer who is on duty sighted a suicide bomber who was trying to scale the fence at Gate Five of the university.
” Suspicious of his movement, the mobile police officer instantly gunned him down and his bomb exploded and killed him instantly.
“The second suicide bomber, a seven year-old detonated the second explosive at the senior staff quarters mosque in the university where a professor, and four persons were killed and 15 persons sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to the hospital,”said Chukwu.
Chairman State Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Satomi Ahmed said; ” All I can say is to appeal to the people to be vigilant and ensure proper watch because, like we have said, the insurgents are in disarray and employing any tactic to cause havoc.
“The people must be vigilant at all time,” said Satomi.
Reacting to the attack, President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the act and it’s perpetrators.
The President sympathised with the University Community, families of the victims and the government and people of Borno State.
He said the appalling attack on a revered Ivory Tower shows that the perpetrators have no true understanding of Islam.
He described the act as despicable, cowardly, criminal, unjustifiable and punishable before God Almighty and the laws of the land.
The President reassured communities in Borno and others in the North eastern part of the country that his administration will continue to ensure that terrorism never triumphs over peace-loving Nigerians.
He reaffirmed the need for Nigerians to remain more vigilant even as the security agencies continue to use all means at their disposal to combat the remnants of insurgents and their sponsors.
President Buhari wished those injured in the attack a speedy and full recovery, and comforted families of the dead.
