Tinubu, US, Atiku condemn Borno wedding bomb blast

President Bola Tinubu has condemned the suicide bombing that occurred in Borno State on Saturday, describing it as a desperate act of terrorism.

In the North-Eastern state of Gwoza, four suicide bombers detonated improvised explosive devices (IEDs), resulting in the deaths of 18 individuals.

Hours later, the Presidency issued a statement, commiserating with the victims’ families as well as the Borno State Government.

In a statement on Sunday, presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, conveyed the President’s condolence message.

“President Tinubu describes the attacks as desperate acts of terror and a clear manifestation of the pressure mounted against terrorists and the success achieved in degrading their capacity to launch offensives,” the statement read.

Tinubu said that the “purveyors of wanton violence shall have a certain encounter with justice and that these cowardly attacks are only but an isolated episode as his government will not allow the nation to slither into an era of fear, tears, sorrow, and blood.”

The Commander-in-Chief maintained that his administration is taking necessary measures to secure citizens, stressing that efforts will be redoubled to ensure that those who trouble the nation, dispatching precious lives, and disrupting law and order are completely removed.

US reacts

Toeing a similar path, the United States Government condemned the attack, describing it as horrific.

“The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the horrific attacks that took place in Gwoza, Borno State on June 29. These reprehensible acts of violence show a cruel and heartless disregard for human life,” the Mission said in a Sunday message.

“We offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed and wish a full recovery to the injured. These abhorrent attacks are a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by terrorism in the region.”

It also reiterated the Mission’s commitment to collaborate with the Nigerian government to defeat terrorism and bring the perpetrators of these heinous acts to justice.

Atiku reacts

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar has charged federal government not to allow the Northeast slide back into terrorism and extreme violence.

Atiku made the call against the backdrop of multiple suicide attacks carried out at various locations, including a wedding reception and a burial ceremony in Gwoza town, Borno State.

The coordinated attacks led to the death of about 30 people while about 100 sustained various degrees of injuries.

Reacting, Atiku said such an attack was due to the government’s lacklustre posture to hold firmly on the frontline.

Posting on X, Atiku wrote: “It is a sad development that the ugly incidents of terrorism are resurfacing and, indeed, metastasising in the North-East.

“The reported attack by suicide bombers at a wedding reception, funeral procession, and a hospital on Saturday stands condemned.

“It is unfortunate that much of the pushback that had been achieved against the Boko Haram terror sect is being cancelled, owing mainly to the government’s lacklustre posture to hold firmly on the frontline.

“It is thus important to call on the federal authorities to wake up to their responsibility and to make sure that the North-East does not slide back into a theatre of terrorism and extreme violence.

“My condolences go to the families of victims of these attacks, and it is my prayer that God grants a peaceful repose to the souls of the departed. -AA”