A male suicide bomber disguised as a grain merchant infiltrated Amarwa village. He first approached a provisions shop and offered sorghum for sale; when the shopkeeper declined, he walked to a shade where villagers had gathered for relaxation and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) concealed in a black plastic bag. The blast killed the bomber and initially three other persons, injuring 13 others. Two of the injured later died in the hospital, bringing the final death toll to six (including the bomber).
28 Dec 2017 · Amarwa village, Konduga, Borno
Deaths
6
Injured
13
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
19
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and patrol teams were deployed to sanitize the scene. Normalcy was restored to the area
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
Target Selection by Rejection—after failing to hit the shopkeeper, the bomber sought a higher-density group to maximize the blast radius.
Trajectory
Target Selection by Rejection—after failing to hit the shopkeeper, the bomber sought a higher-density group to maximize the blast radius.
Cycle notes
Mirrors earlier Boko Haram attacks including the 29 January 2016 Gombi market bombing, 26 December 2016 Maiduguri coordinated suicide attacks, 18 June 2017 female-led bombings in civilian economic spaces, 15 August 2017 Mandarari market/IDP assaults, and 22 October 2017 Muna Garage and Dalti explosions, reflecting a recurring pattern of disguise-based infiltration into civilian economic environments, followed by dynamic shift to higher-density gathering points when initial targets fail, in order to maximize casualties and exploit crowded social and commercial settings for maximum blast impact.
Pattern
Suicide Bombings
Related — Bombing/IED
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