Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has said that five suicide bombers slipped into the state, and only three of them have set off their IEDs so far.
The governor raised this alarm in an exclusive chat with BBC News Pidgin at the weekend, while reacting to the triple blasts that rocked Maiduguri, the Borno capital in north-east Nigeria.
At least 23 people were killed and around 100 others wounded when suspected suicide bombers hit three spots at once.
The Nigerian Army said the targets were the Post Office area, the Monday Market stretch, and the gate of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
The explosions occurred on Monday evening, right around the time Muslims fasting for Ramadan were sitting down to break their fast. The military was pointing the finger at Boko Haram militants.
In the interview, Zulum said security teams were still hunting for the other two bombers and his government was dead set on making sure their plan falls apart.
“We’ve got solid intelligence that five suicide bombers made it into Maiduguri,” he explained. “Three have already detonated their devices.
“We’re tracking the remaining two right now. I won’t say more than that, but we’re on it. By God’s grace, we’ll stop those last two before they can strike.”
The governor said he was “very sad” when he heard the news in Saudi Arabia.
Since flying back home, Zulum has been locked in back-to-back meetings with the military and other security chiefs to get the situation under control.
