The police have confirmed the death of 23 persons and injuries to 108 others following coordinated bomb explosions in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Monday.
The incidents were reported at three locations — the Post Office Flyover, Maiduguri Monday Market, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, said preliminary findings suggested that the attacks were carried out by suspected suicide bombers.
He stated that the explosions occurred at about 7:24pm on March 16, 2026, adding that investigations were ongoing to establish further details surrounding the attacks.
“Sadly, 23 persons lost their lives, while 108 others sustained varying degrees of injuries,” he said.
Daso explained that security agencies, including police tactical units and the military, were promptly deployed to the affected areas to secure the scenes.
He noted that the locations were cordoned off, while the Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit conducted thorough checks to eliminate any additional خطر.
The Commissioner of Police, Naziru Abdulmaji, was also said to have visited the affected sites to evaluate the situation and ongoing response efforts.
During the visit, he sympathised with victims and their families, reassuring residents of the command’s commitment to ensuring safety across the state.
Victims of the blasts were evacuated by emergency responders, including the National Emergency Management Agency and the State Emergency Management Agency, to hospitals for treatment.
The police added that normalcy had been restored in the affected areas, while security presence had been reinforced across Maiduguri to prevent further incidents.
Daso assured that investigations were in progress to bring those responsible to justice and urged residents to remain alert and report any suspicious activities.
Reacting to the development, Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, condemned the attacks, describing them as inhumane and targeted at innocent civilians during the Ramadan period.
Zulum, who is currently in Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj, expressed his condolences in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Dauda Iliya.
He said he was deeply saddened by the incident and extended his sympathies to the families of the victims, describing the act as barbaric.
The governor attributed the recent rise in attacks to intensified military offensives against insurgents in the Sambisa forest and other hideouts.
He, however, reassured residents that security agencies remained in control of the situation and had put measures in place to forestall further attacks across the state.