Yobe official, 15 others die as bombings continue

FOR the second day running, terrorists on Wednesday night and the wee hours of yesterday continued their attacks on public buildings, telecommunications facilities and military structures in some northern states.

In Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, they bombed the two buildings housing the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the state’s Pilgrims Welfare Commission (YPWC) located on Potiskum Road. There was no official confirmation of the casualty figures but hospital sources claimed that 16 bodies were brought to the facility by the police and the JTF.
The state Police Commissioner, Patrick Egbuniwe, confirmed that the torching of two public buildings by suspected Boko Haram gunmen occurred at 2.30 a.m. yesterday.
He said: “Suspected gunmen used Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and petrol-bombs in setting on fire the two buildings that house the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Yobe State Pilgrims Welfare Commission on the Potiskum Road.
“Some of the armed hoodlums used tricycles to get access to the buildings, before setting them ablaze in the early hours of Thursday.”
He said some people were killed, while the buildings were set on fire with the use of IEDs and petrol-bombs, adding: “the people killed by the suspects lived near the buildings.”

He said men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) rushed to the scenes to prevent further attacks and killings.
On whether arrests were made, he replied: “No. Not yet. The police have commenced investigations on the motives behind the sect’s targeting of religious buildings in addition to the torching of Global System Mobile Communication (GSM) firms’ masts in five areas of Damaturu, the state capital.”
Just like they did in Borno State, the terrorists set ablaze the service-base masts of Airtel, Glo and Etisalat in Potiskum and Damaturu yesterday.
They allegedly killed 16 people, including the Yobe Government House Protocol Officer, Mallam Adamu, who was returning from his work.
An attendant in the morgue at the Sani Abacha Specialists Hospital, Damaturu told The Guardian yesterday that men of JTF and police brought in 16 bodies yesterday morning to the hospital.
He said he could not identify the bodies in three patrol vehicles of the police and the JTF.
The official however said “the only body which was identified, was that of the Protocol Officer in the Government House, Damaturu.
Egbuniwe said “some masts belonging to three GSM firms were burnt by suspected hoodlums with IEDs and petrol-bombs in the state capital and Potiskum, 100 kilometres west of Damaturu.”
Egbuniwe added: “We are still collating details of the attacks and killings in Damaturu and Potiskum.”
Communications in the state with cell phones have been disrupted.
The JTF in Borno State yesterday said terrorists’ attacks on telecom masts were designed to “disrupt” communication services and prevent residents from providing information on the activities of gunmen to the military and the police so that they can protect life and property.
Spokesman of JTF, Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, in a press statement issued in Maiduguri, said that the terrorists had turned to the and destruction of Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM) masts and other communication facilities in some areas of Maiduguri to frustrate residents from giving the military vital information
“Members of public are therefore, reminded to continue give credible information to the JTF, the police and other security agencies to contain the ugly trend through the following telephone numbers – 08064174066, 08154429346, and 07065464012,” he said.
Also yesterday, gunmen attacked corps members’ lodge behind the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Jalingo, the Taraba State capital and charted away thousands of naira, including their monthly allowances.
The bandits stormed the Family House of the Redeemed Christian Corpers Fellowship (RCCF) and held hostage the corps members for hours.
The hoodlums allegedly gained entrance into the corps members’ lodge from a toilet in the female wing of the building and carried away three laptops, about 24 mobile phones and thousands of naira.
“We were about 20 corps members in the lodge when it happened. All our phones were taken away. Some of us had two, three phones. They also took our monthly feeding allowance which which we contributed, ” one of the victims said.
RCCF President, Banji Omogbehin said the motive of the attack was unknown because “the bandits asked us of our state of origin, threatening to rape our ladies and behead us.”
Officials of the NYSC who visited the corps members, said the issue would be dealt with.
However, police spokesperson, Amos Olaoye, said the case was not a robbery case but burglary and stealing. “I can confirm the attack but its not robbery. We have not made any arrests yet but the police are investigating.”
Meanwhile, Britain has advised its nationals against travelling to some parts of  Nigeria.
The British High Commission in Abuja on its web site, advised against all travelling to Borno and Yobe states; riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. Others are Warri, Kano and Kaduna cities.
It also advised against all but essential trips to Bauchi State, Jos city, Riyom and Barkin Ladi Local Council in Plateau State, Gombe State, Mubi Town in Adamawa State and the area north of Mubi Town that borders of Borno State.
The rest are non-riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom and Abia states.
The mission noted that “there is a high threat from terrorism in Nigeria. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including government, security and educational institutions, international organisations as well as public venues and areas such as restaurants, bars, markets, hotels, shopping centres, places of worship and other areas frequented by expatriates, foreign tourists and business travellers.”
Disturbed by the attacks, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for quick passage of the Telecom Infrastructure Bill, which seeks to make telecommunication infrastructure a critical national infrastructure.
Director, Public Affairs of the NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobor, who made the appeal yesterday in Abuja, said that the bill, if passed into law, would make it a criminal offence and economic sabotage for anyone to vandalise telecom infrastructure in the country.
He explained that the commission had not received formal report on the number of base stations affected in the attack and their locations, adding that as a regulator, the commission expects service providers to get in touch with the commission whenever there are issues affecting quality of service in the country.
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