Bombs Rock viewing Center in Maiduguri; 46 Killed

A twin bomb explosions rocked a football viewing center in Maiduguri, the capital and the largest city of Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria, leaving at least 46 people killed and many wounded.

According to eyewitness report, the bombs were neatly packaged inside a fire wood truck, believed to have taken-off from the Sambisa Forest in Dam Boa Local Government Area.

The Borno state commissioner of police, Alhaji Lawal Tanko has confirmed the attack. "We are still counting, so far we have counted 46 bodies. Our men are still working with rescue workers at the scene". Tanko said

Bashir Hamza, a resident of the Ajilari Ward in Jere council area of Maiduguri, had earlier told The Niger Times that several people were killed.

"Of course several people lay dead with their charred bodies everywhere," he said, adding that the injured have been rushed to hospital.

"People, mostly young people, were watching a football match at around 6pm local time when two bombs suddenly exploded around the viewing center," Birma said.

The local resident blamed the attack on the Boko Haram militant group.

"We believed that improvised explosive devices must have been planted near the viewing center by some Boko Haram terrorists to cause much damage," Birma said.

Attacks in Nigeria usually go unclaimed.

Boko Haram, has been blamed for thousands of terrorist acts, including attacks on schools, churches and security posts across Nigeria`s northern region, especially the three northeastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

Although it claims to want an Islamist government in the region, Nigerian Muslims – most of whom reject Boko Haram as un-Islamic – have also been targeted by the militant group.