The Nigerian Defence Ministry has said that at least, 15 civilians have been killed in a suicide attack by suspected Boko Haram militants on Tuesday.

This deadly explosion rocked the capital of the north-eastern city, Maiduguri. Six of the attackers were also said to have been killed in the explosion.

The Defence Ministry said further that the explosion happened when a militant blew up a vehicle near a checkpoint in the outskirt of the city.

Officials stated that Boko Haram was behind the attack and that the military is still pursuing the militants to flush them out of the city.

Army Spokesman, Brig Gen Chris Okulade told journalists that the blast took place as soldiers were trying to prevent the attackers from driving several vehicles with explosives into a petrol station.

“Three explosive-laden vehicles were demobilized by shots fired at them by soldiers at the checkpoint,” he said.

He further said the army did well to reduce the number of casualties as the militants intended to cause a major havoc in the area.

This brutal killing comes in the wake of Amnesty International’s report released on Monday detailing atrocities committed by Boko Haram this year alone.

The report has it that over 1,500 people have been killed in the north-eastern regions this year alone by Boko Haram. Half of those killed were civilians, according to the report.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in 3 northern states on May 14 last year, and deployed thousands of troops to halt the insurgency, acknowledging that Boko Haram had taken control of some towns and villages in the north.

Many political analysts in Nigeria have accused President Jonathan of handling the Boko Haram crisis poorly. They say the army is poorly equipped to engage Boko Haram, making Boko Haram always gaining the upper hand over the military.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has said that Some 250,000 people have fled their homes this year alone because of Boko Haram attacks.

Political analysts say it is the biggest security threat in Nigeria and the rest of Africa if nothing is done by the international community. The militants have killed more than 5,000 people since it began its militancy in 2009.

Both the UK and United States have blacklisted Boko Haram as a terrorist organization making their laws and regulatory agencies to block business and financial transactions with Boko Haram.

The French and the US governments have all pledged to help Nigeria put the brakes on Boko Haram but nothing substantial has come out of the pledge as civilians continue to die day in and day out.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

Writer’s Email Address: Adamsisska@googlemail.com

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