Police authorities in Maiduguri have confirmed that 23 people were killed and 108 others injured after three bomb blasts rocked the city on Monday night.
The spokesperson of the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Kenneth-Daso, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, adding that normalcy has since been restored.
According to him, the explosions, believed to have been carried out by suspected suicide bombers, occurred around 7:24 pm at Maiduguri Monday Market, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital gate, and the Post Office flyover.
“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,” he said.
Security forces, including police tactical units, the military and other joint operatives, were swiftly deployed to the affected areas. The scenes were secured and cordoned off, while the Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit conducted thorough sweeps to rule out additional threats.
The Commissioner of Police, Naziru Abdulmajid, visited the blast sites for an on-the-spot assessment and assured residents of the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property.
Victims were evacuated by emergency responders, including the National Emergency Management Agency and the State Emergency Management Agency, and taken to hospitals for treatment.
Security presence has since been intensified across Maiduguri and surrounding areas to prevent further attacks.
Renewed insurgent threat
The latest attacks have disrupted a period of relative calm in the city, which had seen reduced violence in recent years as insurgent activity shifted to rural areas.
However, fighters from Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province have recently escalated attacks across northeastern Nigeria.
Their 16-year insurgency has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced about two million, according to official estimates.
Babagana Zulum described the bombings as “barbaric,” linking the renewed violence to intensified military operations in the Sambisa Forest.
Fragile calm shattered
Maiduguri, once a hotspot for frequent bombings and shootings, had experienced relative stability since the peak of violence in the mid-2010s.
The last major attack occurred in 2021, when insurgents fired mortars into the city, killing 10 people. More recently, a suspected suicide bombing at a mosque in December claimed at least seven lives.
In surrounding rural areas, however, violence has persisted. Last week, the military confirmed coordinated attacks on several bases in the northeast that left at least 14 people dead, including 10 soldiers.
Meanwhile, the United States Africa Command recently announced the deployment of about 200 troops to Nigeria to provide technical and training support in the fight against insurgent groups.
