TheCable

The suicide bombers that hit the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) on Saturday targeted members of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) holding a vigil on campus, TheCable has learnt.

The Boko Haram insurgents had detonated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the school, killing a security guard, and injuring one soldier.

The attack took place in the early hours of Saturday.

A member of the church, who spoke to TheCable on the condition of anonymity, said two suicide bombers had attempted to enter the church around 1am when the blasts occurred.

He also said the first blast was far away from the church premises “but the second and third were exactly within the church premises.”

“As you can see some of our property were destroyed as the result of the explosives,” the church member said.

Another student who was also at the vigil told TheCable that the blasts caused commotion among the church members.

Members have deserted the church

“We took to our heels when we heard multiple explosion right inside the church premises,” he said.

“I wonder why everyone was saying they were targeting mechanical works department (of the school) while in the real sense, they were targeting us in the church.

Victor Isuku, the spokesman of the Borno state police command, had said security personnel intercepted the insurgents on their way to the mechanical department of the institution.

“They were intercepted by the university security personnel and soldiers on duty. In an attempt to apprehend them, the suicide bombers hurriedly detonated IEDs strapped to their bodies, killing themselves and a university security personnel in the process. A soldier was reported injured in the explosion,” he said.

He also said the injured solider is currently receiving treatment at University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).

Normalcy has since been restored in the area.