Death toll in Tuesday’s explosion at Aba Road, Sabon Gari area of Kano State has hit nine, emergency officials have said.

A massive explosion rocked the area on Tuesday morning with many initially thinking it was a bomb attack. School children were seen drenched in blood.

The police had earlier confirmed four people dead but the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said the death toll had reached nine.

NEMA’s spokesperson, Manzo Ezekiel, in a statement said nine bodies have been recovered so far from the rubbles of a collapsed building beside a primary school following explosions from gas cylinder at Aba Road in Sabon Gari area of Kano.

Director-General National Emergency Management Agency, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, was at the site of the incident and coordinated the rescue operations.

“He mobilised excavators being used for the rescue operations and said NEMA team will ensure complete removal of the rubbles to retrieve all trapped persons,” he said.

Ezekiel added that the DG instructed the NEMA rescue team to remain at the site until conclusion of the rescue and to work together with security agencies and other response organisations present at the location.

He said NEMA was presently coordinating the rescue operations involving members, Nigerian Red Cross, military, the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, Kano SEMA.

Top Boko Haram Commander, Abubakar Sarki commanding the dreaded Sambisa Forest in Borno State, Northeast Nigeria has been killed according to Daily Post.

Nigerian Army (Operation Hadin Kai) confirmed that troops, following intelligence, attacked the convoy of the late Shekau-led faction Commander, Abubakar Sarki and killed him alongside his fighters in a bloody exchange of gun fire within the fringes of the Sambisa forest.

Zagazola Makama, an expert in counter-insurgency and security, revealed this to newsmen in Maiduguri.

According to him, intelligence information had it that Abubakar Sarki and his team were heading towards Abu-Ubaida’s camp to engage their rival fighters from the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP), in a battle of supremacy.

“A ground assessment confirmed that three gun trucks with all their occupants were completely destroyed, while the remaining five vehicles and terrorists including Abubakar Sarki escaped.

“But luck ran out of them as troops after sighting a moving convoy conveying Abubakar Sarki and an unconfirmed number of fighters, the army deployed a massive artillery gun resulting in devastating hits on the terrorists.” He said.

It was gathered that the terrorists though aborted the mission, evacuated the dead and wounded fighters towards the axis between Pulka in Gwoza Local Government Area and Banki on the border of Bama and Cameroon.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division, Nigerian Army and Commander Sector 1 North East Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), Maj Gen Waidi Shaibu, who led the operations on Saturday at Yuwe location, within the Konduga Local Government Area of Borno is also said to be in pursuit of the fleeing terrorists around Gwoza and Bama axis in Borno State.

The fight between the Boko Haram faction of the late Abubakar Shekau and ISWAP-led submission to ISIS had intensified with the ISWAP fighters hunting their Boko Haram rivals during the daytime while the Boko Haram members are said to hunt ISWAP fighters at night having understood the terrain in the Sambisa forest.

An explosion, on Tuesday morning, hits Sabon Gari, Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State.

The explosion has killed many and injured several others at Sabon Gari Quarters of Kano State after it went off adjacent a school in Aba Road, leaving parents running helter-skelter to pick their children.

Although many people are trapped under the rubble of the affected house, an eye-witness said he saw a young man walking on the road and suddenly something exploded whether on him or from the building.

Neither the security officials nor the National Emergency Management Agency have made comments on the cause of the blast, but already several persons are reported dead while so many others are still trapped under the rubble of the exploded house.

The Department of Security Service (DSS) boss in the state, Muhammad Alhassan; and the Police Commissioner, Samaila Shuaibu Diko, were both at the scene.

Operatives of the military, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and others were also at the scene.

The Kano State Government has denied that it was an attack on the school, insisting that it was an animal pet store that was destroyed in the explosion.

Muhammad Garba, the state Commissioner for Information, said that the government is trying to ascertain the cause of the explosion as well as the level of damage and casualties.

Some aggrieved personnel of the Nigerian Army have accused President Muhammadu Buhari of failing to check corruption and financial mismanagement among some top military officers while soldiers continue to cry on a daily basis according to Sahara Reporters.

The soldiers in an open letter to the President accused top army officers of corruption and extortion.

Copied in the letter titled “Petition Against Nigeria Army Finance Corps” are the Vice President of Nigeria, Senate President, 36 state governors, National Security Adviser, traditional rulers, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army Staff.

The soldiers said despite their numerous complaints, nobody is saying anything about their unpaid allowances by the military finance corps.

The letter read, “We want to start by saying that it is a shame on General Muhammadu Buhari for failing to address the financial mismanagement of Nigerian soldiers while they continue to cry on the (sic) daily basis.

“Soldiers of the Nigerian Army have complained severally (sic) how their money is being short pay (sic) by the Army Finance and nobody is saying anything about it.

“Nigerian soldiers have complained severally (sic) how they have been given 20% of the 100% allowance which was signed into law by the President Buhari since (sic) 2017 which is known as MAFA. No one is saying anything and the President is not interested to follow up or investigating (sic) the matter.

“The salary of our soldiers is being paid through POS, phone transfer in connection with banks by the army finance department. Our soldiers have been crying but no one is saying anything.

“Our Soldiers continue to buy their uniforms themselves and every other kit needed to protect the people and the nation. No uniform allowance, no boot allowance, and nobody are (sic) saying anything.

“The soldiers we don’t see as anything are the ones that are keeping this country moving. They are using their lives as a wages (sic) between Nigerians and our adversaries.

“When these boys will strike, they won’t be able to enjoy all the money they are stealing and hiding for (sic) their children. When they will strike, running to another country will be too late for us. When they will strike, they (sic) won’t be room for amendment.

“Pay our soldiers their money in full and do it now. Army finance should not have anything to do with our soldiers’ salaries and allowances.”

The General Overseer of Omega Power Ministries, Chibuzor Chinyere, has offered “automatic scholarships” to the seven siblings of slain Deborah Samuel.

Deborah, a 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, was stoned and burnt on the school campus last Thursday for allegedly blaspheming Prophet Muhammad.

Her killing had sparked outrage across the country with many calling for the swift prosecution of two suspects arrested in connection with the crime while some Muslim youths also demanded the release of the suspects last Saturday.

The protesters rioted, vandalised and burnt market stalls, churches and structures perceived to belong to Christians.

Governor Aminu Tambuwal subsequently imposed a curfew on the state to stem the violence that broke out.

Deborah’s mother, Aileri Emmanuel, on Sunday, had said that she would never send her remaining seven children to school because of the barbaric murder of her daughter.

Emmanuel amid tears said, “I have no demands; I don’t want anything but one thing I know is that my children will never go to school again.”

The deceased’s father, Garba Emmanuel, who is a security guard with the Niger State Water and Sanitation, also lamented that he used his whole savings to send his eldest child (Deborah) to school.

Reacting in a Facebook post on Monday, Chinyere promised Deborah’s parents jobs and a better life.

The cleric wrote, “I just watched a video clip where the parents of Deborah Samuel said they will not be sending their children to school again. God forbid.

“Anyone with their contacts should inform them immediately that I Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere the General Overseas of OPM Church is relocating them to Port Harcourt.

“They would be staying in one of the OPM free estates where they will never pay rent forever.

“All their children are given automatic scholarships in OPM Free schools.

“I will get the father a job and I also open a shop for the mother.

“Please get in touch with them immediately.”

Chinyere had earlier in March offered scholarships to two Nigerian security guards who were sacked after being seen dancing during work hours in a viral video.

The security guards, known as The Happy Boys, have since travelled out of the country for studies.