Tragedy struck on Thursday, April 2, 2015 after an explosion, suspected to be perpetrated by insurgent group, Boko Haram, went off near a bus station in Gombe State, killing at least 5 and injuring about 15 others.
Speaking to AFP, an eyewitness, Muhammad Garkuwa, who works as a drivers’ union official said the explosion occurred around 8:30 pm and was set off by a woman who had dropped her handbag beside a bus waiting to take passengers to Jos, Plateau State.
He said: “We had an explosion outside the motor park (bus station) this evening around 8:30 pm (1930 GMT) which killed five people and injured 15 others.
“The explosion was from an explosive left by a woman in her handbag beside a bus waiting to convey passengers to Jos.
“No-one suspected her. People around assumed she was making calls before the bus filled up.
“As she was talking in the phone she moved away from the bus towards a row of kiosks, as if she wanted to buy something, leaving her bag where she was standing.
“She disappeared and the bag exploded soon after, setting the bus on fire. I saw five dead and several injured.”
Since troops of the Multi-Nation Joint Task Force (MNJTF) began regaining swaths of land previously captured by Boko Haram, the group has resorted to striking urban centers, termed “soft-spots” by Nigerian authorities.
