The death toll following the Tuesday morning bombing of a market in northeast Nigeria has climbed to at least 20, and witnesses say it could go much higher. Also, troops announced the arrest of a businessman suspected of helping Islamist militants to carry out attacks including the kidnap of over 200 schoolgirls.
The blast at a popular market in the city of Maiduguri came from explosives hidden under charcoal in the back of a pickup truck or van.
Witnesses say the explosion was so powerful that it sent body parts onto rooftops and set several nearby vehicles on fire.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but officials were quick to accuse Boko Haram.
The Islamist radical group, which originated in Maiduguri, is blamed for the deaths of thousands of people in the past five years.
Bombing near market
An attendant at Maiduguri General Hospital said earlier that eight bodies had been brought in by civilian volunteers. However, witnesses said dozens could be dead, The Associated Press reported.
"I saw police and troops picking out victims,” said Alakija Olatunde, a student who rushed to the scene.
Trader Daba Musa Yobe, who works near the popular market, said the bomb went off just after the market opened at 8 a.m., before most traders or customers had arrived.
Other witnesses said that they saw about 50 bodies, and that the explosion set fire to five cars and some tricycle taxis.
They said the toll could have been worse. But, because most people stay up late to eat during Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting from sunrise to sunset, fewer traders and customers were around.
A security official at the scene confirmed the blast, saying many casualties are feared. He was not identified because he's not permitted to speak to the press.
A year-old government military operation against Boko Haram has so far failed to crush the rebels, whose insurgency has killed thousands since 2009, destabilizing much of the northeast of Africa's top oil producer.
Arrest in abductions case
Earlier Tuesday, Nigeria's military said it arrested a businessman suspected of heading a Boko Haram intelligence network that helped plan the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls in the northeast in mid-April.
The man had helped the Islamist militant group plan several attacks, including the killing of the Emir of Gwoza, a traditional ruler, the military said in a statement.
The AP identified the businessman as Babuji Ya'ari.
Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade said in a statement reported by the AP that Ya'ari belonged to a vigilante group fighting Boko Haram and used that membership as cover "while remaining an active terrorist."
Two women were also arrested as part of the investigation. One was accused of coordinating payments to other "operatives."
It was unclear if the arrest could help in rescuing the girls who remain captive.
The April abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, 219 of whom remain in captivity, has become a symbol of the powerlessness of President Goodluck Jonathan's government to protect its civilians.
Increasing violence
Violence has been relentless in northeast Nigeria in particular, with hundreds killed in the past two months.
Boko Haram has adopted a two-pronged strategy this year of bombings in urban areas and scorched-earth attacks in northeastern villages where people are gunned down and their homes burned.
Explosions last week targeted the biggest shopping mall in Abuja, Nigeria's central capital, killing 24 people; a medical college in northern Kano city, killing at least eight; and a hotel brothel in northeast Bauchi city that killed 10.
On Sunday, the Chibok community was attacked again in three places. Militants opened fire on churches and homes, killing dozens and burning houses to the ground.
On Monday, Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the recent attacks.
A statement from his office said: “The president assures all Nigerians once again that the federal government and national security agencies will continue to intensify ongoing efforts to end Boko Haram's senseless attacks until the terrorists are routed and totally defeated.”
Some information for this report provided by Reuters and AP.
