Female suicide bombers kill 58 in a Nigerian camp meant to be a safe haven

shelter from terrorism and violence instead became an instant death zone for dozens in Nigeria this week

A camp that was supposed to be a shelter from terrorism and violence instead became an instant death zone for dozens in Nigeria this week.

At least 58 people were killed and another 78 injured when two female bombers detonated their suicide vests, according to emergency relief officials. The victims were in a camp for people who had been displaced by Boko Haram violence in Nigeria’s Borno State.

As horrendous as the attack was, it could have been worse. One of the bombers backed out at the last minute.

“There were three female bombers who entered the camp around 6:30 a.m. (local time) disguised as displaced persons. Two of them set off their explosives in the camp while the third refused after realizing her parents and siblings were in the camp,” said Satomi Alhaji Ahmed, head of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency.

The bombers struck Tuesday at the camp in the town of Dikwa, Ahmed said. Dikwa is in northeastern Nigeria, near the border with Cameroon. More than 53,000 people fleeing Boko Haram attacks from six districts are sheltering under military protection.