Boko Haram Bombs Bank in Azare, Kills 14, Scores Injured

Things just got even more nasty , as Bokoharam  insurgents have decided to take it out on Banking premises, this is a heightened sense of threat! Banks?! Ha! 

Read Thisdaylive's report below ...

what is clearly an escalation of its murderous activities, the terrorist sect, Boko Haram, on Friday carried out more attacks in the North-east targeting Azare, the headquarters of Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State, bombing a first generation bank in the town. About 14 people were feared killed while scores were injured.

The bomb blast in Azare came on the same day the sect entered Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State and overran Gashala Village, killing four people in the process.

The tragic incident in Azare occurred in the early hours of Friday. Sources said customers believed to be mainly civil servants were on the queue at the bank’s ATM machine when a bomb was detonated by the suspected terrorists.

The source said 14 people died instantly while scores were critically injured.

An eyewitness added: “The hoodlums initially disguised as normal bank customers who had come to join the queue to withdraw money, but before we knew what was happening, the suspects detonated a bomb.”

The source added that the bombers came in a Hilux vehicle.

"As I am talking to you right now, I have counted about 14 corpses. 27 others are on the ground injured. There is no rescue team around,” a source told journalists by telephone few minutes after the attack.

The bomb blast caused pandemonium in the town, with several people running in different directions for safety.
Traders and shop owners hurriedly shut their shops while economic activities were grounded. Commercial vehicles also withdrew from the streets.

A source at the Federal Medical Centre confirmed that about 14 corpses were brought to the hospital while about 27 critically injured ones are currently under medication.

According to another source, some of the victims were civil servants from neigbouring states like Yobe and Jigawa who withdraw their salaries in Azare.

Azare town is about the busiest commercial area in Bauchi State aside Bauchi metropolis.

However, with the emergence of Boko Haram, the town had suffered untold hardship with series of attacks thereby reducing the number of banks in the town.

As at press time, the Bauchi State Police Command’s spokesman, DSP Mohammed Haruna, was not available for comments on the attack. The state’s government had equally not issued any official statement on the bomb attack.

Sect Enters Hong LG, Kills Four…
During the attack on Gashala Village in Hong Local Government Area, a retired engineer and three others were killed while residents were forced to flee.

A resident of Gashala who confirmed the attack said it took place from Thursday night to Friday morning. He said residents of the village had to flee to hill top and bushes.

He said the terrorists also touched several houses including that of the pastor of EYN Church.

Another resident of Gashala, Mr. Moses Abel said: “We got the signal of their coming but many people did not believe. Those who believed fled to the bushes and mountain before the terrorists struck.”

Another resident, Goni Joseph said: “Before the attack, four gunmen came to the town on two motorcycles and asked two young men they met on the farm to show them the houses of three retired generals and other prominent persons in the village but the young men said they were new in the community. They later went to the house of a retired engineer and shot him dead after asking him a few questions and warned other residents that they would return on Sunday. They said every member of our community who is not a Muslim should join their religion (Islam) or get killed as they claimed the area is under their control now.”

Ealier on Tuesday, the terrorists struck in Gombe State. A police station and Ashaka Cement Company in Nafada Local Government Area were attacked. Five military men and an Islamic scholar in the town were killed before looting its weaponry and setting the station on fire.