At least 23 people have been killed and 108 others injured following a series of suspected suicide bombings in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria.

According to authorities, the coordinated attacks targeted three densely populated locations on Monday evening, including the Post Office area, the Monday Market, and the entrance to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Coordinated attacks during Ramadan

Officials said the explosions occurred around 7:30 p.m. local time, just as residents gathered after breaking their Ramadan fast, increasing the number of casualties.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the updated casualty figures, while police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso stated that preliminary investigations indicate the attacks were carried out by suspected suicide bombers.

Scenes of panic and devastation

Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as the first explosion at the hospital gate triggered panic and a stampede.

Survivors reported that as people fled one blast, they unknowingly ran into the path of other attackers, worsening the toll.

Medical facilities across Maiduguri have been overwhelmed, with emergency responders calling for urgent blood donations to treat the injured.

Government response

President Bola Tinubu condemned the attacks, describing them as “profoundly upsetting” and the actions of “evil-minded terrorist groups.”

He has ordered security chiefs to the city to take control of the situation and strengthen response measures.

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum suggested the attacks may be linked to recent military offensives against insurgents in the Sambisa Forest, calling the violence “barbaric and inhumane.”

Rising insurgent threat

Although no group has claimed responsibility, suspicion has fallen on extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), both of which have a history of attacks in the region.

Maiduguri, once the epicentre of the insurgency, had experienced a period of relative calm following intensified military operations in recent years.

Growing security concerns

Security analysts warn that the return of coordinated attacks to the city signals a shift in tactics by insurgent groups, highlighting their ability to strike urban centres despite military pressure.

The incident is one of the deadliest in Maiduguri in recent years and underscores ongoing challenges in stabilising the Lake Chad Basin region.