3 female suicide bombers die in failed attacks in Nigeria

Three women wearing explosive vests blew up near Maiduguri in an apparent failed suicide bombing attack against Nigeria's beleaguered northeastern city, police said today.
Dozens of people died in suicide bombings in Maiduguri last week, all blamed on the extremist Boko Haram group, which regularly attacks the city as part of its six year battle to impose Islamic law in the north.
Despite the attacks, officials announced this week that Maiduguri International Airport will soon reopen. It has been closed since a December 2013 attack on a nearby air base.
Those traveling to the far northeast have had to use dangerous roads prone to attack by the Islamic extremists. A police bomb expert investigating Tuesday's blasts said the women's bodies were cut in half by the explosions, which took place near the highway leading to the city.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not supposed to give information to reporters.
The expert said most bombs strapped to girls and women are triggered by remote devices, which they have no control over. Boko Haram has kidnapped hundreds of girls in the course of their campaign.

Police commissioner John Opadokun confirmed that the three women bombers died on a mission to attack the city.
The bomb expert said three other women died last week when their explosive vests detonated near the Maimalari Barracks, on the outskirts of Maiduguri.
Eight soldiers were killed on June 4 when a suicide car bomb hit a checkpoint outside the same barracks.

Buhari was meeting today in Abuja with leaders of neighboring countries about strengthening a multinational force fighting Boko Haram.
Only Cameroon's President Paul Biya was absent, lending strength to local reports of bad blood between him and Buhari.
Biya failed to attend Buhari's May 29 inauguration and Buhari visited Niger and Chad the following week but not Cameroon.