SAN FRANCISCO, July 07, (THEWILL) – A bomb explosion at the venue of a workers verification exercise at the local government headquarters in Sabon Gari, Zaria, Kaduna State has killed at least 20 persons.
The blast occurred on Tuesday morning at about 9.40am.
Tuesday’s bombing was a suicide attack which bears the hallmark of the Boko Haram, a terrorist group that has escalated coordinated attacks in at least four northern states in the last four weeks, killing over 400 persons in mosques, churches and towns.
Kaduna State Governor, Mallam El-rufai, who visited the scene of the blast, tweeted that at least 20 persons were killed and urged residents of the state to vigilant.
“We call on our citizens to be vigilant and avoid crowded places like markets, mosques, churches and motor parks in the next few weeks.
“We call on our people to report any suspicious persons and movements to law enforcement agents, traditional rulers and religious leaders,” he said.
Emergency personnel as well as security agencies have sealed off the blast area while the wounded have been transported to local hospitals.
A statement released later by El-rufai’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan said, “Terrorists detonated explosives that killed and injured several persons at the secretariat of the Sabon-Gari local government council. The casualty count as at 12 noon is 25 fatalities, including a two-year old child.
“Thirty-two injured persons are being treated at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria and other hospitals in the city.
“The blast went off as the residents welcomed the new chairman of the interim management committee of the local government to his office at the secretariat.
“Some local government staff from Lere and Ikara were also undergoing biometric verification at the venue.
“The Kaduna State Government has expressed its sadness at this mindless attack on our citizens. It has condoled with the victims and is coordinating the treatment of the survivors…”
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