ISWAP rockets hit Maiduguri housing estates, injure girl
By Tada Jutha, Maiduguri
A projectile rockets suspected of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists; have hit the Maiduguri housing estate, destroying two apartments on Saturday in Borno state.
The other destroyed house is located in the Ngormari community near the Nigerian Air Force NAF) base.
Besides the injuring of a girl at House: 2589; there were no casualties in the dawn attack on residents of 1000 housing estates along Damaturu road.
The explosions occurred at 6.00 am; when residents were still indoors; before the three-hour monthly sanitation exercise.
An eyewitness and resident, Alim Audu told The Guardian yesterday that when he heard of the explosion, he rushed out to find what was happening.
“The second rocket, also exploded near my house,” he said; adding that while rushing out to the scene, he saw the rocket inside the targeted house.
“This is how I concluded that it was a rocket propelled attack on residents of the estate,” he said.
Yesterday’s attack could not be independently verified, as the military and police are yet to respond to the explosions.
It was also learnt that the housing estate shares the same perimeter fencing with the Maiduguri Hajj Camp.
According to State’s Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the over 19, 000 repentant Boko Haram terrorists and their families are sheltered in the camp since last July.
Last February, over two dozen people were also killed in multiple rockets fired in Gwange community of Maiduguri metropolis.
Meanwhile, Governor Babagana Zulum confirmed the incident by sympathizing with the victims of the twin explosion that destroyed two houses within a two feet crater.
He however urged the residents to be always security conscious, as the terrorists still live among communities to launch attacks on innocent people.
The Governor therefore urged the Army, police and other security agencies to beef up security within and around Maiduguri metropolis.
“They may be hiding among communities located on the outskirts of Maiduguri,” he said, stating that the rockets could have been fired from one of these villages around the metropolis.
