The Police in Maiduguri in Nigeria’s Borno State have confirmed that 23 persons were killed and 108 others injured in suspected suicide IED explosions on Monday after a year-long peaceful stretch in the state capital.
The Spokesman of the Police Command, Nahum Kenneth-Daso, said in a press statement on Tuesday that normalcy had returned to Maiduguri.
Kenneth-Daso said that the devastating suspected suicide IED explosions occurred at about 1924hrs on Monday, March 16, 2026, at the Maiduguri Monday Market,, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) gate and the Post Office Flyover areas of Maiduguri.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the incidents were carried out by suspected suicide bombers. Regrettably, a total of twenty-three (23) persons lost their lives, while one hundred and eight (108) others sustained varying degrees of injuries,” he said.
He explained that following the incidents, a combined team of police tactical units, the military, and other joint security operatives were swiftly deployed to the affected areas to secure, cordon off and thoroughly swept by the Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit, Base 13, Maiduguri, to rule out any additional threats.
“The Commissioner of Police, Naziru Abdulmajid, visited the affected locations to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the situation and to evaluate ongoing response efforts. He commiserated with victims and their families, while assuring the public of the Command’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives and property.
“Victims were promptly evacuated by emergency responders, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), to medical facilities where they are currently receiving treatment,” the statement added.
According to local media reports, the joint security operatives have increased their presence and surveillance across Maiduguri and its environs to prevent further incidents.
The reports added that the renewed assaults have wrecked a year-long peaceful stretch in Maiduguri, which had become relatively peaceful as Nigeria’s long-running insurgency was pushed to the hinterlands.
Meanwhile, the Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, called the apparent bombings “barbaric” and said that “the recent surge in attacks is not unconnected with intense military operations in the Sambisa forest,” a known jihadist stronghold.
It will be recalled that Boko Haram fighters and rival jihadist group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have recently stepped up attacks in northeastern Nigeria.