At least 23 people have been killed and 108 others injured following a سلسلة of suspected suicide bombings in Maiduguri, in what authorities describe as one of the deadliest recent attacks on the city, the capital of Borno State.
The coordinated explosions struck a post office, a crowded weekly market, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital within minutes of each other at around 7:30 p.m. local time on Monday, shortly after residents had gathered to break their Ramadan fast.
Nigeria’s military has blamed the हमला on militants from Boko Haram, the extremist group that originated in Maiduguri and has led a deadly insurgency in northeastern Nigeria since 2009.
Police in Borno State confirmed that preliminary investigations point to suicide bombers carrying out the coordinated attacks. Authorities say efforts are ongoing to identify those responsible and determine the full scope of the operation.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and chaos as the blasts erupted in quick succession. A resident, Modu Bukar, said people fled in fear after hearing a loud explosion at the market, while others ran toward nearby areas, only to encounter additional خطر when another attacker reportedly detonated explosives among fleeing المدنيين.
Another witness, Mala Mohammed, recounted how individuals trying to escape the market unknowingly moved toward the post office, where another bomber struck, worsening the casualty toll.
President Bola Tinubu condemned the attacks, describing them as “profoundly upsetting” and the actions of “evil-minded terrorist groups.” He confirmed that security chiefs have been deployed to Maiduguri to take control of the situation and strengthen response efforts.
The attacks come just hours after Nigerian security forces repelled an attempted assault by suspected Islamist fighters on a military post in the Ajilari Cross area on the outskirts of the city, raising concerns about a renewed wave of coordinated العمليات in the region.
Maiduguri, once the epicenter of Boko Haram’s insurgency, had seen a period of relative stability in recent years following intensified military campaigns that pushed militants into more remote المناطق along Nigeria’s borders.
However, the scale and timing of Monday’s bombings, deep داخل the city and during a significant religious period, have shaken confidence among residents who had begun to believe the worst of the insurgency was over.
While violence has declined from its peak around 2015, attacks by Boko Haram and its rival faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have increased in recent months, prompting renewed warnings from officials about the استمرار threat of terrorism in northeastern Nigeria.
Security agencies have since heightened vigilance across Maiduguri, as emergency responders continue to treat the injured and assess the full impact of the attacks.
