Twin bomb explosions hit Nigerian city

Two powerful blasts rocked the northeastern Maiduguri, capital of Borno in Nigeria with feared casualties on Friday, a spokesperson for relief agency said. "Two powerful explosions were heard in Maiduguri today," Ibrahim Farinloye, information officer for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) told Xinhua on phone. The bombs were believed to have been planted by the Boko Haram radical sect. "We cannot ascertain any casualties now," he added, noting that the blasts sent residents scampering for safety Spokesperson for the Joint Task Force (JTF) Lt. Colonel Hassan Mohammed confirmed the incident, but declined further comments. The country's fundamentalists had laid a siege on the city of Maiduguri since June with incessant bomb explosions and killings, forcing residents to flee to other parts of the country believe to be safe.