Conflicting: Paris Attack, New Bombings In Yola And Kano; Is There A Connection?

                               Scene of the Kano Bomb Blast on Wednesday

It has become a puzzle now waiting to be unravelled if there could be any connection amidst the series of bombings that ensued last Friday night in Paris unto that of the Vegetable Market in Yola on Monday and that of the GSM Village on Wednesday in Kano (both in Nigeria) this week. The manner of which the bombings were codified in execution, people are now puzzling and trying to strike a correlation as it is now understood that ISIS was responsible for Paris bombings and Boko Haram which has pledged their allegiance to ISIS, also struck in both the northeast and northwest regions of Nigeria. What is really the connection in these serial terror attacks?

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On Friday, the November 13th, an international friendly football match was in progress between the national teams of France and Germany at Stade de France in Paris when a triple coordinated suicide bombings happened just some few metres outside the stadium. The horrific sound of the three bombs blast shook the entire stadium to its roots thereby making the spectators to scamper for safety in the football playing pitch. Among the spectators in the stadium was the French President, Francois Hollande, who was also enjoying the evening football match of the two giant nations when the attack was executed. The attacks were recorded to be executed at six different spots in Paris and its northern suburb town of Saint-Denis. Just outside the stadium, three suicide bombings along with sporadic shootings occurred while another suicide bombings occurred at other four different locations near central Paris. Shortly after the bombings and mass shootings, the news media especially the TVs and cable, were agog with the news of hostage taking of over one hundred hostages at Bataclan Theatre. At this spot, there was an exchange of gunfire between the police and the terrorists in an attempt to rescue the hostages. The exchange of gunfire and standoff with the police lasted until about 12.50 a.m. of the next day. This spot recorded the highest casualties in the entire terror bloodbath. About 89 deaths were recorded at Bataclan Theatre out of the total recorded deaths of 129, while about 351 people were admitted to the hospitals for various degree of injuries sustained from the attackers. On record, seven attackers were confirmed to be dead from the different series of attacks.

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In some few minutes after the attack, President Hollande declared a State of Emergency in the country. He ordered the total closure of all French borders to prevent any escape by the terror perpetrators. The President later declared in his national broadcast that he considered the attack as ‘an act of war’. The attack was believed to have been planned in Syria, organized in Belgium and later executed in the soil of French inhabitants. This attack has been considered as revenge by Islamic State of Iraq and The Levant (ISIL) on France, for the bombardment it (France) coordinated and executed in certain target areas of the Middle East. ISIL is believed to be retaliating the involvement of French government in the civil wars in both Iraq and Syria. However, on the next day, the 14^th November, French soldiers carried out extensively one of the deadliest retaliation attack in the history of the country by bombarding various ISIL hideouts and strongholds in the Middle East. Most of the bombardment targets were carried out in Syria and Iraq.

Sequel to the bombings and shootings in France on Friday night, on Monday the 15^th of November, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb that killed over 30 people at a vegetable market in the Jimeta area of Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. According to an eyewitness who saw everything from a distance, the suicide bomber, a young man, approached the market through the part where children were playing, and started playing with them. As the play got intense, the young man started distributing money to the children who collected it with joy and smiles. In few minutes later, the man moved away from the children to the little throng in front of the vegetable market and detonated the improvised explosive device (IED) tied around his body. The eyewitness said that the sound of the explosion initially deafened his hearing even at the few metres distance where he stood. Again, the particles of destruction caused by the explosion splattered across the market to the point where he stood. At a count, about 24 dead bodies were left lying at the market after the blast and the number later rose to 34 the next day. Over 40 injured were taken to the hospital for various degree of injuries sustained. The state governor, Muhammed Jibrilla who later visited the scene of the bomb blast the next day, appealed to the citizens to be calm and expect a successful termination of the Boko Haram menace and havoc in the entire regions of Nigeria. He advised that it is now a better alternative for the citizens to engage in community policing as community contribution to tame and curb Boko Haram. News had it that the governor had to cut short his proceedings in Abuja, the nation’s capital, to return home when he heard about the unfortunate incidence.

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Following the Yola attack on Monday, two days later, another suicide bombing was carried out by two women shrouded in Muslim veils (hijab) at the GSM market in the city of Kano, North West Nigeria. An eyewitness narrated that a Sharon bus came to the GSM market and two women veiled in hijab alighted from the bus, then walked into the market. The Sharon bus left the scene with other passengers still in the bus. The GSM market in Kano is a usual busy arena where many business dealers converge daily to execute their businesses especially that of the mobile phones and tablets. On Wednesday the 17^th of November when this attack was executed during the evening hours, the atmosphere was the same as usual. The two veiled women suicide bombers were said to have walked into the midst of people who were engaging in one business deal or the other, when double and simultaneous loud explosion was heard. The Red Cross reports had it that there were initially about 11 dead bodies found at the scene of the blast including those of the bombers while over 50 people sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital for treatment. This casualties figure of the deaths later triggered upwards when the reports came that some of the injured that were taken to the hospital also died.

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With keen interest and sage follow up, one could notice that each of the attacks happened on about the same intervals. Just take a little note of the scenarios. On Friday, there were suicide bombings and shootings in Paris; on Monday, there was a suicide bombing in Yola; and on Wednesday, there was another suicide bombing in the city of Kano: just in a space of six days. Thus, these serial scenarios leave many people wondering about the inter-connection of these three havoc in both France and in Nigeria. Is it that both ISIL and Boko Haram have unilaterally agreed to carry out these coordinated attacks on these places? Have the two terror groups arranged to be carrying on their heinous acts simultaneously? Is there recent arena where they now meet to plan for their dastard acts of terror? What really is the connection of these series of bombings in France and Nigeria? 

The puzzle and obfuscation continue...  

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