Three people including two suicide bombers have been confirmed dead following two coordinated attacks at the offices of two major telecoms providers in the ancient city of Kano.
Eyewitnesses say the first suicide bomber dropped his Golf car at the Airtel office in Malam Kato Square, where the bomb explosion killed one security officer of the company and the bomber.
“The car hits the place at about 8a.m. on Saturday morning, although I don’t know if there were people inside the office but I can confirm to you that one security officer who was standing at the gate when the car came was dead” a source confirmed to Channels TV.
Officials of the state fire service are still trying to extinguish the fire from spreading to the neighbouring business areas.
Related Story:NEMA Gives Update on Coordinated Suicide Attacks On Telecoms Firms in Kano
The second suicide bomber was said to have hit MTN office at Post Road, 30 minutes after the attack on Airtel’s office.
A staff of MTN in Kano, who witnessed the attack and does not want to be identified, told Channels TV that “it was an unsuccessful attack in our office. They wanted to penetrate the office but they could not and they detonated the bomb from the outside.”
The suicide bomber is dead and there are no other casualties at the attack on MTN’s office.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks.
Boko Haram, an Islamic fundamentalist group has in the past launched a number of attacks at transmission mast of telecoms companies, operating in the northern parts of Nigeria.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) after mobilising response agencies to the scene of the early morning explosions in Kano confirmed the “coordinated attacks by suicide bombers at the facilities of two telecom operators in separate locations in Kano Municipality.”
A statement signed by NEMA’s Head of Public Relations, Mr Yushau A. Shuaib, explained that “the attacks which took place this morning were targeted at Airtel office around Mallam Kato Square old Parade Ground of Unknown Soldiers and MTN facility opposite Floor Mill, Malali Road Kano.”
“While securities have further been strengthened in the state, the areas of the attacks have been cordoned off” the statement added.
