Vice-president Kashim Shettima visits survivors in hospital, offers assurances of government support to victims and families affected by the tragedy and vows to bring perpetrators to justice.<\/p>\n
The death toll from Saturday\u2019s multiple suicide bombings in Gwoza town has risen to 32.<\/p>\n
Eighteen people, including children, adults and pregnant women, died instantly in three separate but coordinated suicide bombings in the town in Nigeria\u2019s northeastern Borno State.<\/p>\n
Female suicide bombers, thought to be members of the Jam\u0101\u2019at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da\u2019way Wa\u2019l-Jih\u0101d (JAS), more commonly referred to as Boko Haram, carried out the attacks, targeting a wedding, a hospital and a funeral gathering.<\/p>\n
More than 100 people were wounded. Many were transferred from the General Hospital in Gwoza to the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, for urgent treatment.<\/p>\n
Gwoza town is close to Nigeria\u2019s border with Cameroon and is about 135km from Maiduguri.<\/p>\n
Nigeria\u2019s Vice-President Kashim Shettima visited the wounded survivors on Monday evening and called on medical practitioners at the State Specialist Hospital to \u201cintensify efforts\u201d.<\/p>\n
Shortly afterwards, he told reporters that several of the wounded had succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment, bringing the total death count to 32.<\/p>\n
He said 14 people had been discharged while 26 were still receiving attention.<\/p>\n
He condemned the brutal bombings and extended his condolences to the wounded and to the families of those who had lost loved ones.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cIt was a very pathetic scene. Our hearts go out to the victims.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shettima conveyed President Bola Tinubu\u2019s sympathy to the people and the state government.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe heart of President Bola Tinubu is with the victims and he specifically instructed us to come and offer our condolences and commiserations to the victims of this incident.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emphasising the government\u2019s commitment to protecting its citizens, Shettima vowed to bring those \u201cresponsible for this horrific act\u201d to justice. He offered assurances of government support for all victims and the families affected by this tragedy.<\/p>\n
Shettima was accompanied by Borno State\u2019s deputy governor, Umar Usman Kadafur, who is acting governor while Babagana Umara Zulum is on leave for a month.<\/p>\n
Senator Ali Ndume, who represents southern Borno and is a native of Gwoza, Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Sa\u2019idu Ahmed Alkali, Baba Ahmad Jidda and Zubaida Umar were among high-ranking officials who visited the wounded.<\/p>\n
Relatives told RNI reporter Falmata Mohammed Ali that they were \u201cstill in a state of shock\u201d.<\/p>\n
Aishatu Usman, the mother of one of the patients, said: \u201cMy son\u2019s condition is critical and he has not spoken since the incident. We cannot complain; it was destined by the Almighty.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband and I were admitted on Saturday after the explosion. The government sent ambulances to transport the victims from Gwoza town to Maiduguri. I was treated and discharged. My husband\u2019s condition was critical when we got here, but he has improved and will make a full recovery,\u201d said Zainab Usman.<\/p>\n
Habiba Musa expressed frustration with the hospital\u2019s response, saying: \u201cWe were told to come back because there were not enough beds. Some hospital workers were rude to us despite our condition. Some patients received financial support but we did not get anything. We are angry about the way we have been treated. It has made us sad. We are still in a state of shock.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hadiza Hamman said: \u201cI am visiting my granddaughter, who sustained a fracture in one of the blasts. We don\u2019t know how many people lost their lives. It was chaotic and everyone was panicking.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are many victims and there are not enough health practitioners attending to them. It has made entire process very slow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we were brought here two days ago, we knew of 18 people who died in the blasts. Now many more people have died. The number is increasing daily. Health workers need to fast-track the process to save our loved ones.\u201d<\/p>\n
The first blast on Saturday occurred at about 3pm in the middle of a wedding ceremony.<\/p>\n
The female suicide bomber was described as a young mother in her twenties. She was carrying a baby and pretending to be a wedding guest when she detonated the improvised explosive device (IED) she was wearing. She and her baby and a number of guests died instantly. Many more were wounded. Injuries ranged from abdominal ruptures to skull and limb fractures.<\/p>\n
The second blast occurred at the Gwoza General Hospital where the wounded from the first explosion were being treated.<\/p>\n
A female suicide bomber, disguised as a mourner, detonated the third person-borne IED at a funeral gathering being held to bury the victims of the first explosion.<\/p>\n
No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but authorities suspect the female suicide bombers were members of the JAS.<\/p>\n
Tinubu condemned the attacks, describing them as \u201cdesperate acts of terror\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said his government would not allow the nation \u201cto slither into an era of fear, tears, sorrow and blood\u201d.<\/p>\n
He vowed \u201cto end terrorism across the country\u201d and to bring those responsible to justice.<\/p>\n
The United States condemned the attacks, saying: \u201cThese reprehensible acts of violence show a cruel and heartless disregard for human life \u2026 these abhorrent attacks are a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by terrorism in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mohamed Mallick Fall, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, said: \u201cI am horrified by this attack on civilian populations and condemn such acts in the strongest terms.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amnesty International Nigeria called for an end to assaults on civilians in Borno State.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese deplorable attacks that took place at a time people were mourning demonstrate complete disregard for human life.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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