By Abdulkareem Haruna

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria – Three coordinated suicide bombings tore through crowded areas of Maiduguri on Monday night, killing at least 23 people and wounding 108 others, police and state officials confirmed.
The blasts, which occurred around 7:24 p.m., targeted the Maiduguri Monday Market, the entrance to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), and the Post Office Flyover. The timing of the attacks coincided with the evening rush and the holy month of Ramadan, a period when public spaces are often crowded for breaking the fast.
ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, stated that the preliminary investigation identifies the attackers as suicide bombers. Victims were evacuated by the National and State Emergency Management Agencies (NEMA and SEMA) to various medical facilities, where they are receiving treatment for “varying degrees of injuries.”


Governor Condemns “Cruel and Cowardly” Attack
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, currently in Saudi Arabia for the Lesser Hajj (Umrah), condemned the strikes in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Dauda Iliya.
“I am deeply saddened by the explosions that occurred in parts of the metropolis on Monday evening,” Zulum said. “The act is utterly condemnable, barbaric, and inhumane.”
The Governor described the targeting of innocent people during Ramadan as “cruel and cowardly” and called for immediate heightened security measures, particularly at places of worship and public squares.
Security Response and Context
Following the blasts, a joint force of military and police tactical units secured the affected areas. The Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit conducted sweeps to rule out secondary improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Commissioner of Police CP Naziru Abdulmajid visited the sites for an on-the-spot assessment, reassuring the public that normalcy has been restored. However, the attack serves as a grim reminder of the region’s volatile security landscape.
Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, has been the epicenter of a long-running insurgency by Boko Haram and its offshoot, ISWAP. While the city had seen a decrease in large-scale urban bombings over the past year, these coordinated strikes suggest a shift in militant tactics aimed at high-visibility civilian targets to maximize casualties.
The Police Command has urged residents to remain calm but vigilant, providing emergency contact numbers (08068075581, 08023473293) for reporting suspicious movements.