[Headline] Bomb blast rocks state secretariat in Maiduguri Read more:

Reports reaching us say a bomb blast has gone off at the state secretariat in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital. As at press time, at least four people were killed in the bomb blast. Rescue workers were seen carrying four bodies away, Reuters is reporting. While details of the bomb blast is sketchy but tweets from persons in Maiduguri suggests that there are many casualties. The area has since been condoned off by military troops and men of Civilian JTF.Just yesterday a suicide bomber killed himself in an attempt to enter a mosque in Maiduguri, leaving 6 people injured. According to military sources quoted by AFP, the bombers were women dressed as men; attack bears attributes of Boko Haram violence. Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, the military spokesperson, also confirmed the incident via a statement made available to NAIJ.com. The statement reads: “This afternoon, combined team of Nigeria policemen maintaining security duties at the entrance of Borno State Government Secretariat, (which was known as Musa Usman Secretariat) in Maiduguri, intercepted and prevented a male suicide bomber from entering to attack workers based on suspicion. “Unfortunately, in the process of stopping him, he detonated the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on his body, instantly killing himself, a policeman and critically injuring another policeman that stopped him from gaining entry into the Secretariat Complex. “Sadly, the injured policeman died later. Similarly, 18 people have sustained various degrees of injuries and have since been evacuated to hospital for treatment. “Troops have cordoned off the area and evacuated all workers from the Secretariat and reinforced security. “In addition, the Explosive Ordinance Device (EOD) and K9 teams have been mobilized to the Secretariat for screening until it is declared safe. “This unfortunate incident has reinforced the need for more security consciousness and awareness on the part of all of us as the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists and their sympathizers still mingle with the society. “It therefore behoves on all and sundry to ensure that they are detected and prevented from carrying out their dastardly acts.