The Borno state Police Command on Tuesday said that a handful of people were killed after a suspected male suicide bomber detonated his explosives at the Sabon Gari market in Damboa, headquarters of Damboa Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. This corrects earlier report that a female bomber was responsible for the latest carnage.

Mr Aderemi Opadokun, the Commissioner of Police in the state, made the clarification while speaking with newsmen in Maiduguri. No fewer than 50 people died.

“Reports we just received indicates that at about 14:45 hours, there was an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) explosion at Sabon Gari market in Damboa LGA. A suspected male suicide bomber. who strapped the IED around his body, detonated it in the open and many people died and about 30 injured,” Opadokun said.

He said that the injured victims had been evacuated to Biu General Hospital for treatment.

“Investigation is in progress on the issue,” Opadokun said.

He advised communities to form vigilante groups to prevent insurgency attacks.

He advised towns and villages outside Maiduguri to set up vigilante groups, where none exists, to screen people entering markets, mosques, churches or areas with large gathering of people.

The police commissioner said that any suspected suicide bomber should be arrested and handed over to security agents for action.