Bomb Blasts in Borno: Many Killed and Injured in Bomb Attacks

Bombs exploded in at least three locations in Borno state, Nigeria on Monday night, killing and injuring dozens of people.

Explosions were heard in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, where Nigeria’s homegrown jihadi Boko Haram extremists have waged an insurgency for over a decade. The blasts hit the entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and two local markets, known as the Post Office and the Monday Market.

According to police, at least 23 people have been killed, and over 100 people are wounded.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the suspected bombings. The Nigerian military said in ⁠a statement earlier it had repelled attacks by suspected Islamic militants in the early hours ⁠of Monday on the outskirts of Maiduguri.

For years, Nigeria has been battling a complex security crisis from different armed groups, especially in the northern parts of the country.

Jihadi extremist groups, including Boko Haram and one of its factions, have been blamed for intensified attacks targeting Nigeria’s military bases in northeast Nigeria this month. But attacks in Maiduguri in Borno state, which is the epicenter of Nigeria’s 17-year struggle with extremist armed groups, have been rare in recent years after military operations.

Bagoni Alkali, an eyewitness to the blast, said he brought wounded people to the hospital for emergency treatment. “Right now, over 200 people have been injured and are receiving care in the accident and emergency department,” Alkali said.

“While I could tell you so many people have died, to be honest, many lost their lives at the scene immediately after the bomb exploded. It’s disheartening,” he added.

Mohammed Hassan, a member of a volunteer group that often assists the security forces in the conflict against armed extremists, said he evacuated 10 bodies from the Post Office and the Monday Markets. “Many victims were rushed to the emergency ward, but some died at the hospital. We’re in dire need of blood,” he said. “This attack’s been one of the deadliest in Maiduguri in years.”

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and those injured as a result of the blast. The act is utterly condemnable, barbaric, and inhumane,” Borno’s Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, said.

He called on residents to remain calm, continue their usual activities, and report any suspicious movement or activity to security agencies.

The bombings have reignited a long-simmering conversation among Nigerians, where frustration with the Tinubu administration’s handling of insecurity has become a recurring theme. Many users have pointed to what they describe as a pattern of condemnation-without-action from Abuja, arguing that presidential statements of sympathy, or even a lack thereof, following each new attack, have failed to translate into tangible security improvements on the ground.