Dog stops suicide bomber at Maiduguri wedding party

A dog died saving dozens of people at a wedding party in Maiduguri after it attacked a suicide bomber, an official said. The dog stopped the teenage suicide bomber from detonating her explosives in the crowd.

The dog, according to the police, belonged to a resident of the neighbourhood where the wedding took place. The suicide bomber was about making her way into the gathering at the wedding before the dog pounced on her.

The girl, whose original mission appeared to have been thwarted, detonated her explosive while battling to wriggle herself from the canine grip of the dog. The gallant dog paid the supreme sacrifice as it died alongside the suicide bomber.

Spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force in Borno State, Victor Isuku, said the incident happened around 7:30a.m. in Belbelo community of Jere Local Council in Borno State.

“Information just received indicate that today (yesterday) around 0733hours (7.33am), a female suicide bomber with IED strapped to her body, attempted to infiltrate a wedding ceremony in Belbelo community of Jere LGA She was, however, prevented by a watchdog, so she had to detonate the IED to kill herself and the dog,” said Isuku, a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

Isuku said normalcy has since been restored in the area and “no further casualty was recorded apart from the dog.” The incident occurred few hours after three suicide bombers blew themselves up at two different locations not far from the spot where the wedding took place.