The Nigerian Army has raised fresh concerns over the presence of multiple suicide bombers in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, warning residents to stay away from crowded places amid heightened security threats.
The alert follows Monday evening’s deadly suicide attacks which claimed at least 23 lives and 108 injured in suspected multiple suicide-bomb attacks in Maiduguri city, capital of Nigeria’s insurgency-hit northeastern state of Borno, the state police command said in a statement late on Monday.
Borno is at the heart of Nigeria’s Islamist insurgency for the past 17 years, which has claimed thousands of lives and displaced 2 million people
In a statement on Tuesday, the Media Information Officer, Northeast Joint Taskforce Operation Hadin Kai, Lt Col Sanni Uba, said the attacks targeted crowded public areas in an attempt by the terrorists to inflict mass casualties and create panic within the metropolis.
He said three locations, including the Post Office area, Monday Market axis, and the entrance to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), were affected
The statement reads, “The Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) wishes to inform the general public of suicide bomb explosions that occurred at about 7:05 p.m. on Monday, 16 March 2026, in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC).:
The explosions, according to the statement, were carried out by suspected Boko Haram terrorist suicide bombers who detonated the explosive during the period of Iftar (breaking of fast).
“The cowardly attacks targeted crowded public areas in an attempt by the terrorists to inflict mass casualties and create panic within the metropolis” he said.
The statement added that troops of Operation HADIN KAI, in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team and other sister security agencies, responded swiftly to the incident and immediately secured and cordoned off the affected locations to prevent further harm.
“Emergency response teams, including personnel from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other medical service providers, promptly evacuated casualties to the General Hospital, Specialist Hospital, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for urgent medical attention. “
“Preliminary information further indicates that the terrorists may have deployed multiple suicide bombers into Maiduguri with the intention of carrying out coordinated suicide bombings at crowded locations. Security forces have therefore intensified surveillance, patrols, and counter-IED measures across the metropolis to track down any remaining suspects and prevent further attacks,” Sanni assured.
He further noted that medical teams are currently attending to injured victims at various health facilities across the city, while emergency responders continue rescue and evacuation efforts at the affected locations.
The spokesperson urged members of the public 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,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, has strongly condemned the deadly explosions that rocked Maiduguri on Monday evening, describing the attacks as heinous, barbaric and a direct assault on innocent lives.
Also, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South) has commiserated with the families of those killed and wished the injured ones a quick recovery, even as he condemned the heinous act.
