(Timothy Olanrewaju, MAIDUGURI)

Two would-be suicide bombers were intercepted and killed in Maiduguri state, northeast Nigeria, by a local vigilante group before the suspects could detonate their bombs.

Residents of Kushari, a rustic settlement west of the state, said they saw two strangers loitering around a street in the area in the early hours of Friday and quickly alerted youth vigilantes, Civilian JTF, local resident Saleh Mohammed told Daily Sun.

“The two men dressed in an unusual way. They were in jeans and shirts with another top. They appeared restless and people immediately noticed they were not from the area and that [stirred] the curiosity of the residents. We alerted the Civilian JTF, but the two men started running as soon as they saw the CJTF, ” our source disclosed.

He said the CJTF quickly pursued the bombers. Improvised explosive devices strapped on their bodies were exposed as the bombers fell to the ground.

“The CJTF just opened fire on them killing the two,” Mohammed added.

A top leader of the CJTF who preferred anonymity confirmed the incident, saying that the bombers suspected to be Boko Haram members were targeting crowded areas within the community.

It will be recalled that the 2015 Muslim Ramadan fast resulted in notable bomb attacks, prompting residents to mount surveillance and security around mosques this season.