The death toll from the bomb attack in the Gwoza area of Borno State on Saturday has risen to 32, Vice President Kashim Shettima announced yesterday. One more person succumbed to their injuries after the initial count of 31 fatalities.
Vice President Shettima conveyed his condolences during a visit to the families of the victims in Gwoza. In a statement by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Information, Shettima described the incident as tragic, quoting the late Dele Giwa: “One life lost in cold blood is as gruesome as millions lost in cold blood.”
After meeting with victims at the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, Shettima extended the condolences of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the Borno State government and the people of Gwoza. He noted that 42 people had been admitted to the hospital, with 14 discharged and 26 still receiving treatment.
The Vice President, accompanied by Borno State Acting Governor Umar Usman Kadafur, Babagana Kingibe, Senator Ali Ndume, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Abubakar Kyari, former Nigerian Ambassador to China Baba Ahmed Jidda, the Director-General of NEMA, and other officials, made a personal donation to the victims and sympathized with the families of those killed.
Acting Governor Kadafur, representing Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, expressed sympathy to the victims and praised the efforts of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in evacuating and transporting some victims from Gwoza to Maiduguri for medical care. The state government also donated N5 million to support the victims receiving treatment.
The Northern Senators Forum (NSF) pledged to enhance security measures and ensure swift responses to threats in the region. Senator Abdulaziz Yaradua (APC-Katsina), Chairman of the NSF, commended the medical teams, rescue workers, and the Nigerian Army for their dedication and valor. The forum promised to seek justice for the victims and hold the perpetrators accountable.
Similarly, the Southern Senators’ Forum condemned the attacks, calling for a robust response to terrorism. In a statement by Chairman Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, Secretary-General Senator Barinada Mpigi, and Publicity Secretary Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, the forum emphasized the need for intensified efforts to combat terrorism and ensure national security.
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) also condemned the bomb attack, urging renewed efforts by the military to eliminate religious extremism, banditry, and insurgency. ACF National Publicity Secretary Prof. Tukur A. Muhammad-Baba expressed deep sadness at the coordinated attacks, which targeted a wedding party, a funeral, and a hospital, resulting in the deaths of at least 19 people, including women and children, with many others injured.
Although no group has claimed responsibility, the attacks bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram’s terror tactics.
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