45 bomb attack victims evacuated to Maiduguri hospital — Officials

No fewer than 45 of 82 victims of Tuesday’s market suicide bomb attack in Konduga, Borno, have been transferred from General Hospital, Konduga, to State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri, authorities said.

A doctor at the general hospital, who pleaded anonymity, told our reporter on Wednesday that 17 people were brought in dead to the facility.

The doctor said three others died at a hospital in Maiduguri.

“Initially, 17 persons and three suicide bombers were killed at the scene of the attack, while three others, including a child, died at the hospital in Maiduguri.

“We are providing treatment to the victims admitted in the hospital while those with serious cases were referred to Maiduguri,” the doctor said.

Malam Abdullahi Danbatta, the Head of Rescue Team, State Emergency Management Agency, said the agency’s team evacuated three bodies from the hospital in Maiduguri to Konduga.

Danbatta added that the team evacuated more than 40 people with serious injuries to the Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri.

The Commissioner of Police in Borno, Mr Damian Chukwu, had confirmed 16 dead and 82 injured in the attack.

Chukwu said the police had /visited and rendered the scene and vicinity of the attack safe and restored normalcy in the area.

Tuesday’s attack occurred two days after Boko Haram insurgents sacked a nearby village, Wanori-Amarwa, killed four persons and maimed two others.

Konduga is one of the towns liberated by the military from the Boko Haram insurgents.

Following the military action, thousands of displaced persons who took refuge at various camps returned to their homes in the area.

The town is 25km from Maiduguri and has a population of more than 20, 000.

Meanwhile, Mr Buana Makinta, a relation of one of the victims, expressed concern over the alleged lack of medications at the regional hospital.

Makinta alleged that the patients were not provided medications many hours after they were admitted at the hospital.

“The medical personnel are handicapped; they only washed the blood and applied bondage to the wounds.

“None of the victims is provided medications due to lack of drugs at the hospital,’’ Makinta alleged.

He called on the government and donor agencies to provide drugs and a generator for the hospital to save lives.