By Gideon Maxwell
March 17, 2026
At least 23 people have been confirmed dead and 108 others seriously injured following a series of coordinated bomb explosions that rocked the Borno State capital Maiduguri late on Monday evening in one of the deadliest attacks in the city in recent years.
The explosions, believed to have been carried out by suspected suicide bombers, detonated almost simultaneously at three crowded locations around 7:24 pm local time, according to the Borno State Police Command.
Among the targeted sites were the bustling Post Office area, the popular Monday Market and the main entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, sending shockwaves through the city and overwhelming emergency services as victims were rushed to nearby medical facilities.
The state police spokesperson said preliminary investigations point to suspected improvised explosive devices used by suicide attackers, but no group has yet publicly claimed responsibility for the carnage.
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Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos with bodies lying in the streets, shops destroyed and screaming residents fleeing for safety after the blasts, which came without warning in a city that had experienced a fragile calm after years of insurgent violence.
The explosions mark a disturbing resurgence of extremist violence in northeast Nigeria where Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province have waged a prolonged insurgency for more than a decade, displacing millions and claiming thousands of lives.
Security forces, including the Nigerian Army and police, have been deployed in large numbers across Maiduguri and surrounding areas to secure scenes, pursue suspects and prevent further attacks, while authorities are urging residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.
Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum condemned the bombings as barbaric and a relapse in the region’s security situation, reinforcing calls for heightened intelligence and community cooperation to curb the insurgency threat.
The devastating incident underscores persistent vulnerabilities in regional security even as government forces maintain operations against insurgent strongholds in surrounding forests and rural hinterlands.
Casualty figures are expected to rise as rescue and medical teams continue recovery efforts, with many of the injured in critical condition and local hospitals stretched as they try to cope with the influx of victims.
