By Kingston Magare 17.3.2026
Twenty-three people laid dead and over 100 injured in Maiduguri after suicide bombers struck at different locations in the Borno State capital.
The blasts occurred Monday evening at about 7.30pm shortly after fasting Muslims observed their prayers and had their meals. The blasts ripped through the Monday Market, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital gate, and the Post Office Flyover.
Reacting to the deadly strike spokesperson for the Nigeria Army Operation Hadin Kai in Borno Lt. Col. Sanni Uba, linked the attacks to Boko Haram. He warned that preliminary intelligence suggests that terrorist elements may have infiltrated the city with plans to carry out further coordinated attacks.
He said the attacks were aimed at causing mass causalities and spreading panic across Maiduguri. However, the army according to him has intensified surveillance, patrols and counter-IED operations to track down any remaining suspects and prevent further incidents.
“Members of the public are therefore urged to remain calm but vigilant, avoid crowded areas where possible and promptly report any suspicious persons, unattended items or unusual activities to the nearest security agency,”
“Operation HADIN KAI commiserates with the families of the victims and assures the public that troops and all security agencies remain fully committed to safeguarding lives and property while relentlessly pursuing terrorist elements responsible for these heinous acts,” Lt. Col. Sanni Uba said in a statement.
Meanwhile President Bola Tinubu condemned the attacks. He said the assaults are a “final desperate and frantic attempts by criminals and terrorist elements trying to instill and spread fear,” underscoring that these groups face mounting pressure from Nigeria’s armed forces. “Nigeria will not succumb to fear,” he affirmed, positioning the attacks—including Monday’s coordinated strikes on military positions—as the “desperate acts of the evil-minded terrorist groups.”