Eighteen people were killed and dozens injured in a series of coordinated suicide bombings that rocked Gwoza, Borno state, on May 29, state authorities said on Sunday. The blasts, which targeted a wedding ceremony and a funeral, are the deadliest attacks reported in the Northeast state in recent months.
Details remain sketchy, but authorities believe suspected female suicide bombers carried out the attacks. The first explosion ripped through a crowded wedding ceremony, causing mass casualties. In the ensuing chaos, a second blast detonated near a funeral procession.
The Nigerian Presidency issued a statement condemning the “cowardly attacks” and vowing a strong response. “The purveyors of wanton violence shall have a certain encounter with justice,” the statement read. President Bola Tinubu stated that “his government will not allow the nation to slither into an era of fear, tears, sorrow, and blood.”
The U.S. government offered its condolences to the victims’ families and the Nigerian people. “These reprehensible acts of violence show a cruel and heartless disregard for human life,” said the U.S. Mission in Nigeria in a social media post. “The U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria is committed to our partnership with Nigeria as it works to defeat terrorism and bring the perpetrators of these heinous acts to justice.”
The bombings have heightened fears of a resurgence of Boko Haram activity in the region. The militant Islamist group has been responsible for numerous deadly attacks in Nigeria in recent years.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
