TheCable

Four suspected female suicide bombers were intercepted by soldiers and members of the civilian joint task force (JTF) near a checkpoint at Mafa, on the outskirts of Maiduguri in Borno state, on Wednesday.

According to Sani Usman, spokesman of the army, the attackers were trying to bypass a military checkpoint through “before they were ordered to take the right road”.

“However, few metres short of the checkpoint, one of the bombers swiftly detonated her vest.  The vigilant troops gunned down the other three suicide bombers before they carry out their nefarious acts,” he said in a statement.

“Sadly, one of the civilian JTF lost his life and four other persons sustained various degrees of injuries.  The Nigeria police explosive ordinance device team in the area safely detonated the unexploded improvised-explosive-device carried by the other suicide bombers.”

The army spokesman added that the security situation in the area was now “cool and calm.”