At least 23 people were killed and 108 injured after multiple bomb explosions struck Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, in what authorities described as coordinated attacks likely carried out by suicide bombers.
The blasts occurred around 7:24 p.m. on Monday at three locations — the Monday Market, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital gate, and the Post Office flyover — sending panic through a city long at the centre of Nigeria’s insurgency.
Police said the attacks were carried out using improvised explosive devices.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the incidents were carried out by suspected suicide bombers. Regrettably, 23 persons lost their lives, while 108 others sustained varying degrees of injuries,” said ASP Nahum Daso, spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command.
Security forces, including police tactical units and the military, were deployed immediately after the explosions, while bomb disposal teams swept the affected areas to rule out additional threats.
Emergency responders evacuated victims to nearby hospitals, including the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, where the injured are receiving treatment.
Authorities said the situation had been brought under control, with increased surveillance across the city to prevent further attacks.
“The scenes were immediately secured, cordoned off, and subjected to thorough sweep operations,” Daso said, adding that investigations were ongoing.
The Commissioner of Police, Naziru Abdulmaji, visited the blast sites and met with victims, assuring residents of efforts to restore security.
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum condemned the attacks, describing them as “despicable, cruel, and cowardly,” particularly during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and those injured as a result of the blast,” the governor said in a statement issued by his media aide.
Zulum linked the renewed violence to intensified military operations against insurgents in the Sambisa forest and other strongholds.
The attacks mark a troubling resurgence of violence in Maiduguri, once the epicentre of a more than decade-long insurgency led by groups such as Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province.
Security sources said earlier in the day that troops had repelled attempted attacks on the outskirts of the city by suspected insurgents.
Residents reported seeing bodies at the scene of the market blast, while videos circulating online showed emergency workers attending to victims, some with visible injuries.
Authorities have urged residents to remain calm and vigilant, and to report any suspicious activity to security agencies.
The latest attacks underscore ongoing security challenges in Nigeria’s northeast, despite years of military operations aimed at degrading insurgent groups operating in the region.
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