At least 23 people have been killed and 108 injured in a series of suspected suicide bombings in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's north-eastern Borno state, police say. A post office, a popular weekly market, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital were targeted within minutes of one another at around 19:30 local time (18:30 GMT) on Monday.
These locations, which had attracted large crowds after the day's Ramadan fast was broken, were among the city's busiest and represent a significant shift from the previously stabilizing security environment. Monday's bombings are among the deadliest attacks Maiduguri has faced in years, leading to fears of a resurgence of violence in a city that was once the center of Boko Haram's insurgency.
Preliminary investigations suggest that suspected suicide bombers carried out the attacks. In a statement, Borno police noted that the investigation is ongoing to identify the attackers. Eyewitness Modu Bukar recounted the chaos that ensued after the blasts, stating, We were sitting when we suddenly heard a loud explosion. Everyone immediately started running in fear.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has condemned the attacks, stating that Nigeria will not be submissive to fear, and assured that the perpetrators will be found and confronted. This tragedy follows hours after security forces thwarted an attempted assault by suspected Islamist fighters on a military post outside Maiduguri, underscoring the volatile security situation in the region, despite earlier gains against militant groups.
These locations, which had attracted large crowds after the day's Ramadan fast was broken, were among the city's busiest and represent a significant shift from the previously stabilizing security environment. Monday's bombings are among the deadliest attacks Maiduguri has faced in years, leading to fears of a resurgence of violence in a city that was once the center of Boko Haram's insurgency.
Preliminary investigations suggest that suspected suicide bombers carried out the attacks. In a statement, Borno police noted that the investigation is ongoing to identify the attackers. Eyewitness Modu Bukar recounted the chaos that ensued after the blasts, stating, We were sitting when we suddenly heard a loud explosion. Everyone immediately started running in fear.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has condemned the attacks, stating that Nigeria will not be submissive to fear, and assured that the perpetrators will be found and confronted. This tragedy follows hours after security forces thwarted an attempted assault by suspected Islamist fighters on a military post outside Maiduguri, underscoring the volatile security situation in the region, despite earlier gains against militant groups.
