No fewer than 50 people were killed and many others injured when two bombs went off in Gombe central market, where customers were making last-minute Ramadan shopping on Thursday evening.

An eyewitness, Mallam Ibrahim Mohammed, who sells oranges in the market, told newsmen that the first bomb went off at exactly 5:20pm with the second exploding a few metres away from where the first went off.

Narrating his experience amid tears, the distraught young man said he saw about 50 dead bodies.

A member of the Nigeria Red Cross Society, who pleaded anonymity, said he counted about 48 dead bodies and that the corpses were deposited at the mortuary of the Specialist Hospital and Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe.

Gombe State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kudu Nma, confirmed the incident.

He said, “There was a bomb blast. The (bomber) was either on a suicide mission or (may be) the bombs were kept somewhere with the view to causing panic and apprehension to people.”

According to him, the bomb exploded at the Sabon Layi footwear market.

“People were busy shopping in preparation for the Sallah festival. The casualties are yet to be ascertained. As you can see, people are busy working, trying to save lives; for now we cannot tell you the number of casualties,” the police commissioner said.

He said the police had condoned off the place to avoid looting, adding that relative calm had returned to the area.

Nma called on the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious movement to security agents.