Bukar Idris, one of the survivors of Boko Haram attack near a mosque in Silimanti on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Borno state, on December 27, narrated his ordeal.
NAN reports that Idris narrowly escaped the death in the bombing that killed 25 people.
However, his two childhood friends were not so lucky and the man is now mourning the sore loss caused by Boko Haram members.
The survivor, who is a resident of Silimanti, said: “I was lucky to have escaped the attack because I left the place few minutes to fetch something in my house for a friend at the gathering.”
Idris said he counted at least 20 corps before aid workers came to the scene.
“I lost two childhood friends,” the man said, giving their names as Modu Bushara and Shehu Sawab.
The Nigerian military confirmed that 25 Nigerians were killed and 85 others wounded in Sunday’s deadly attacks when three of 14 female suicide attackers who tried to storm Maiduguri blew themselves off.
Yushau Abubakar, a major-general and theatre commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, said that three of the suicide bombers detonated their improvised explosive devices in their bodies.
According to him the insurgents planned to carry out massive and coordinated suicide bombings through Asmari, Damboa checkpoint, Ali Dawari, Molai Kura, Baderi, Jumari villages on the outskirt of Maidugri.
Abubakar said: “Seven other suicide bombers were gunned down by our troops, three escaped and one was arrested.
“I believe this development has averted what would have been a major disaster if they had gained entrance into Maiduguri.
“One of the girls went to a nearby house and requested for water to perform ablution but instead prepared herself and came to a nearby mosque and blew herself off killing one person while 13 others sustained injuries.”
The recent violence came days after President Muhammadu Buhari announced that Nigeria had “technically won the war” against the group, which he said was no longer capable of mounting “conventional attacks.”
