Deadly Suicide Bombings Rock Maiduguri, Leaving 23 Dead and 108 Injured
A series of suspected suicide bombings struck the city of Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria on Monday evening, resulting in at least 23 fatalities and 108 injuries. The attacks targeted three of the city's busiest locations: a post office, a popular weekly market, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, all hit within minutes of each other around 19:30 local time (18:30 GMT).
Targeting Crowds During Ramadan
The bombings occurred as large crowds had gathered at these sites after breaking the day's Ramadan fast, exacerbating the casualty count. Police in Borno state, where Maiduguri is the capital, confirmed the incidents in a statement, noting that preliminary investigations point to suicide bombers as the perpetrators. An ongoing investigation aims to establish the identities of the attackers.
Boko Haram Blamed for the Attacks
Nigeria's military has attributed the bombings to militants from the notorious Boko Haram group, which originated in Maiduguri and made the city the epicenter of its insurgency starting in 2009. Despite intensified military operations in recent years that had pushed armed groups into remote border areas, bringing a period of relative stability to the state capital, this attack marks a severe setback.
Eyewitness Accounts Describe Chaos and Panic
Modu Bukar, a resident who witnessed the market blast and assisted in transporting victims to the hospital, recounted the terror to the AFP news agency. "We were sitting when we suddenly heard a loud explosion. Everyone immediately started running in fear. As we ran, people kept shouting that we should keep going," he said. Another witness, Mala Mohammed, 31, described how people fled toward the post office area, only to encounter a second bomber. "Unfortunately, as they were running towards the post office, the person who had the explosive device ran into the crowd while people were still trying to escape," he told AFP.
Government Response and Condemnation
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu condemned the attacks in a statement on Tuesday, labeling them "profoundly upsetting" and the "desperate acts of the evil-minded terrorist groups." He has ordered security chiefs to move to Maiduguri to take charge of the situation. Just hours before the bombings, security forces had repelled an overnight attack by suspected Islamist fighters on a military post in the Ajilari Cross area on the outskirts of Maiduguri, highlighting the persistent threat.
Residents Shaken by Scale and Location of Attacks
The scale and location of Monday's attacks, occurring deep within the city, have deeply shaken residents who had cautiously begun to believe that the worst years of Boko Haram's insurgency were over. While violence has slowed from its peak around 2015, fighters from Boko Haram and another jihadist group, Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap), have recently escalated attacks in northeastern Nigeria. Officials warn that the threat of further violence remains, even as emergency and security agencies work to reinforce safety across Maiduguri.
