TheCable

Suspected members of the Boko Haram sect struck at Dadin Kowa motor park in Gombe state around 7:30 pm on Wednesday, claiming about 40 lives.

Activities are usually low during the period that the attack took place.

“Two suicide bombers attacked Dadin Kowa bus station this evening. The park is one of the busiest in the town,” a witness said.

“You get vehicles going to Biu, Maiduguri, Yola but activities are usually low in the evening. So, we just hope that the casualty would not be high.”

Another source said suspected insurgents also struck at Duku, a residential area within Gombe metropolis.

He could not give details of the attack but said the casualty figure was likely to be high because of the location of the attack.

Fwaje Atajiri, the police public relations officer in the state, confirmed the attack at Dadin Kowa, saying the police had cordoned off the area to prevent hoodlums from taking advantage of the situation.

“It is true that there were bomb attacks in the motor park but the casualty figure is not yet known,” he said.

“The injured have been taken to the hospital and the area has been cordoned off to prevent hoodlums from taking advantage of the situation to loot people’s property. Details would be made known to you later.

“For now what is clear is that, there has been blast and the police has moved in.”

TheCable learnt that Solomon Arase, the inspector-general of police, visited the state earlier in the day to discuss strategies of boosting security.

Last Thursday, about 30 people lost their lives during an attack which happened in one of the biggest markets in the state.