MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Two female suicide bombers blew themselves up in a northeastern Nigerian refugee camp, killing at least 58 people, health and rescue officials said.
A third woman bomber was arrested and gave officials information about other planned bombings that helped them increase security at the camp, said an official of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency.
Some 78 people are being treated for wounds from the twin explosions that occurred in a camp of some 50,000 people driven from their homes by the Boko Haram Islamic uprising, according to health workers in Maiduguri, the biggest city in northeastern Nigeria and birthplace of Boko Haram. They spoke on conditions of anonymity as did rescue officials who said they were not authorized to speak to reporters.
The emergency management official said 51 bodies were buried in Dikwa, the scene of the carnage 53 miles northeast of Maiduguri. Health workers said five bodies were brought to the main hospital in Maiduguri. PR Nigeria, an agency that disseminates official news, quoted health and rescue officials putting the number of dead at 58. The officials said poor cellphone service delayed news of the attack.
MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) – A brawl between rival drug gangs at an overcrowded penitentiary in northern Mexico turned into a riot leaving 49 inmates dead and 12 injured in the country’s deadliest prison melee in years.
No escapes were reported in the clash at the Topo Chico prison in Monterrey, said Nuevo Leon state Gov. Jaime Rodriguez. The riot took place on the eve of Pope Francis’ arrival in Mexico, a visit that is scheduled to include a trip next week to another prison in the border city of Ciudad Juarez. Rodriguez said in the morning that 52 people had died, but he lowered that by three in the late afternoon.
NEW YORK (AP) – A rookie police officer who shot an unarmed man dead in a darkened public housing stairwell was convicted of manslaughter in a case closely watched by advocates for police accountability.
The courtroom audience gasped and Officer Peter Liang, who had broken into tears as he testified about the 2014 shooting of Akai Gurley, buried his head in his hands as the verdict came after 17 hours of jury deliberations. Liang is the first New York City police officer convicted in an on-duty death since 2005. The manslaughter charge, a felony, carries up to 15 years in prison, though no requirement for any prison time.