UPDATE: Damaturu Blast: Army confirms 50 dead; police say

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The Nigerian Army has confirmed the death of 50 persons in two separate bomb explosions in Damaturu, Yobe, on Friday morning.

A statement issued on Friday in Abuja by the acting-director of army public relations, Sani Usman, a colonel, said the explosions occurred at screening areas of the Eid prayer ground.

According him, many other persons were injured in the explosions suspected to have been masterminded by insurgents.

“This is to confirm that there were two suicide bomb explosions today at about 7:40 a.m. in Damaturu, Yobe, in which two female suicide bombers – one elderly woman and a ten year-old girl -detonated the devices,” Mr. Usman said. “It occurred at screening areas for intending Muslim worshipers at Layin Gwange, Damaturu and at Phase1, in front of former state secretariat, Damaturu.”

He said 43 persons died in the first explosion while seven people died in the second explosion.

The army spokesperson assured the public that the relevant authorities had brought the situation under control.

He assured that no amount of terrorist act would deter the Nigerian Army’s resolve to stamp out terrorism and insurgency.

Mr. Usman said Gov. Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe and the Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, had called on the residents of the area to stay calm and be security conscious.

However, the police in Yobe state said 15 people were killed.  A police spokesperson, Toyin Gbadegeshin, made this confirmation when he spoke to journalists in Damaturu.

“The total number of death casualty is 15 persons,” he said.

Mr. Gbadegeshin said no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks; even though many residents had no doubt that it was an attack by Boko Haram terrorists.

Witnesses in the area, including a police officer who did not speak officially, had claimed that the attacks were carried out by two little girls.

Earlier reports from a source in a hospital at Damaturu had confirmed 10 dead.