Nigeria: Double Suicide Bomb 'Kills 30' in Former Boko Haram Stronghold

Madagali IDP camp
Internally Displaced People (IDP) are pictured in Madagali camp in Nigeria's northeastern Adamawa state on August 21, 2014. A double suicide bombing occurred in the state on Friday. OLATUNJI OMIRIN/AFP/Getty

A double suicide bombing in northeastern Nigeria has killed at least 30 people, according to an army spokesman.

The blasts occurred in the town of Madagali, in Adamawa state, when two female suicide bombers detonated devices at a marketplace, military spokesman Major Badare Akintoye told AFP.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Boko Haram has been waging a seven-year insurgency in northeast Nigeria that has resulted in the death of thousands of and displaced more than 2 million people. Nigerian security forces liberated Madagali from the control of the Islamist extremist group in early 2015.

Newsweek tried to contact other Nigerian military spokespeople for confirmation but has received no immediate reply.

A driver who was buying tea at the market, Ahmadu Gulak, told the Associated Press that he counted at least 10 bodies and that dozens of wounded people were being taken to hospital.

Two suicide bombers targeted a market in Madagali in December 2015, killing around 30 people.

Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) in 2015, but has recently split into factions—one loyal to ISIS, and the other following long-time leader Abubakar Shekau—after the Syria-based group appointed a new leader for Boko Haram. The appointment was denounced by Shekau, and the two factions have reportedly engaged in clashes in northeast Nigeria.

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About the writer


Conor is a staff writer for Newsweek covering Africa, with a focus on Nigeria, security and conflict.

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