Bomb blast hits market in Nigeria’s Maiduguri city kills at least 13

It comes as Boko Haram released an online video rejecting claims from Nigeria’s military that it has been routed by a four-nation offensive.

MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA // At least 13 people were killed when a bomb blast hit a busy meat market in Maiduguri on Tuesday, the Nigerian Red Cross said.

The bomb which was concealed under a butcher’s table in the market went off at around 1pm local time, killing shoppers and travellers, a military source said.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the latest explosion, which follows two bomb attacks over the weekend that killed at least 30 people and bore the hallmarks of militant group Boko Haram.

“We’re trying to sift human bodies from carcasses of cattle that are strewn all over the place... I can’t give you a death toll now but we should expect high casualties,” said Shettima Bulama, a civilian vigilante battling Boko Haram.

The Red Cross’ northeast Nigeria spokesman Umar Sadiq said in a text message that there were “13 dead and 24 injured” who were taken to two hospitals in the city for treatment to their injuries.

Boko Haram released an online video on Tuesday, rejecting claims from Nigeria’s military that it has been routed by a four-nation offensive.

The unidentified speaker called Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, who have been battling the militants, “the lying coalition partners”.

“Most of our territory is still under our control,” said the speaker, whose face was not shown in the 10-minute message posted on YouTube.

* Agence France-Presse and Reuters