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 hit within minutes of each other at around 19:30 local time (18:30 GMT) on Monday. The sites, which are among the city's busiest locations, had drawn large crowds after the day's Ramadan fast was broken. Monday's explosions represent one of the deadliest attacks Maiduguri had witnessed in years.
The city was once the epicentre of an insurgency by militant Islamist group Boko Haram. However, it had been enjoying a relatively stable period after intensified military operations had pushed armed groups into remote border areas. Preliminary investigations indicate that the incidents were carried out by suspected suicide bombers, and an investigation is underway to establish the attackers' identities. Modu Bukar, a local resident who witnessed the blast, described the scene, saying, 'We were sitting when we suddenly heard a loud explosion. Everyone immediately started running in fear.'
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack on Tuesday, emphasizing that 'Nigeria will not succumb to fear,' and assured that the culprits would be 'located, confronted, and completely defeated.' The scale and location of Monday's attacks have profoundly shaken residents who had cautiously begun to believe that the worst years of Boko Haram's insurgency were behind them. Officials have warned of the ongoing threat of violence as emergency agencies strive to enhance security throughout the city.
The city was once the epicentre of an insurgency by militant Islamist group Boko Haram. However, it had been enjoying a relatively stable period after intensified military operations had pushed armed groups into remote border areas. Preliminary investigations indicate that the incidents were carried out by suspected suicide bombers, and an investigation is underway to establish the attackers' identities. Modu Bukar, a local resident who witnessed the blast, described the scene, saying, 'We were sitting when we suddenly heard a loud explosion. Everyone immediately started running in fear.'
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack on Tuesday, emphasizing that 'Nigeria will not succumb to fear,' and assured that the culprits would be 'located, confronted, and completely defeated.' The scale and location of Monday's attacks have profoundly shaken residents who had cautiously begun to believe that the worst years of Boko Haram's insurgency were behind them. Officials have warned of the ongoing threat of violence as emergency agencies strive to enhance security throughout the city.
