Barely a month after a bomb explosion in Maiduguri Central Mosque that targeted the Shehu of Borno, another Monarch, the Emir of Fika and Chairman of Yobe state Council of Chief, Mohammed Abali Ibn Idrissa was this afternoon narrowly escaped death as he escaped being killed a Suicide bomber at the Potiskum Cental Mosque in Yobe State. However according to eyewitness the suicide bomber died, the Police Orderly survived the attack as he was injured.
The bomber had tried to get close to the chief after the Friday prayers at the Potiskum Central Mosque located at the Emir’s palace but was stopped by a police aide to the chief.
According to an eyewitness; “the suicide bomber then brought out a gun when he saw he was going to be prevented from reaching his target. However, the bomb exploded before he could make further progress.”
another eyewitness has this to say; “A man who looked in his 40s … approached the emir and tried to embrace him, but people around pushed him away, and at that moment, a bomb concealed under his caftan went off,” one witness said.
Those wounded included the emir’s bodyguard, a mosque aid worker and a nurse, the witness said. The attack was said to have occurred as the emir left the mosque near his palace after weekly prayers.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, though Potiskum has been hard hit by violence blamed on Boko Haram.
“I and my brother were leaving the mosque through a different gate when I heard an explosion followed by a commotion as worshipers tried to flee,” another resident said.
“I fled the mosque, but some minutes later when the news of what happened spread, I came back to the mosque and I saw a large crowd watching the dismembered body of the attacker.” As gathered several people were wounded in the attack.
