Blast Kills Three, Injures 19 At Taraba Market

Three people were killed and 19 injured after an explosion at a crowded market in Taraba State in the east of the country, police said.

Nigeria is plagued by insecurity as armed gangs and an Islamist insurgency carry out attacks against communities and security targets in northern parts of the country.

According to our source “most of the victims are those who after their business activities in the market decided to go to the joint for relaxation.”

An explosion on Tuesday evening occurred in Iware village of Ardo-Kola local government council of Taraba State, killing many people.

The incident, which DAILY POST learnt occurred at a popular drinking joint, was also confirmed to have left several persons with various degrees of injuries.

Sources from the area who spoke with DAILY POST through telephone said the incident occurred at about 4.30 p.m.

The affected persons are those who had gone to the cattle market to buy and sell.

According to our source “most of the victims are those who after their business activities in the market decided to go to the joint for relaxation.”

The explosion, which many of them alleged to be a bomb was said to have been brought into the joint by a teenager, who also died in the incident.

Though when reached for confirmation, the police claimed only three persons were killed and 19 injured, but eyewitness accounts had it that several numbers of persons were killed as a result of the incident.

Our sources who couldn’t ascertain the exact numbers of casualties at the time of filing this report claimed to have sighted no fewer than ten corpses on the ground while trying to escape the scene.

Other persons from the community, who also bared their minds said some persons were injured beyond recognition.

The explosion, which many of them alleged to be a bomb was said to have been brought into the joint by a teenager, who also died in the incident.

Usman Abdullahi, police spokesman for Taraba, said the blast in the rural Iware community occurred on Tuesday at a drinking spot in a section of a busy market, leaving three dead and more than a dozen people with injuries.

“It is suspected to have been caused by improvised explosive device that detonated. Investigations are ongoing,” Abdullahi said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.