Suspected suicide attacks kill at least 23 in north-east Nigeria

Multiple blasts struck some of the Maiduguri's busiest locations on Monday evening.

At least 23 people were killed and 108 wounded in a series of suspected suicide bombings in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, on Monday night, according to police. The attacks targeted crowded areas, including the entrance to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and the central Monday Market. Witnesses described scenes of chaos and injuries, with emergency services and security forces responding swiftly. President Bola Tinubu condemned the attacks, which he attributed to terrorist groups, and urged security chiefs to take control of the situation.

Between 2021 and 2026, Nigeria's northeastern Borno state experienced a series of devastating attacks, primarily attributed to Boko Haram and Islamic State-linked insurgents. On March 16, 2026, one of the deadliest attacks in recent years struck Maiduguri, where multiple suicide bombings targeted a hospital and two markets, killing at least 23 and injuring over 100. Other major incidents include a February 2021 rocket attack in Maiduguri that killed 10; a coordinated suicide bombing on June 29, 2024, in Gwoza that left 32 dead; and a January 2025 suicide vehicle attack targeting Nigerian troops in Malam-Fatori. In June and September 2025, suicide and nighttime attacks in Konduga and Darul Jamal led to over 70 deaths, while a mosque bombing in December 2025 claimed five lives. On January 26, 2026, militants ambushed Nigerian troops in Damasak, resulting in seven deaths and 13 kidnappings. The increasing frequency and lethality of attacks underscore the persistent insecurity in the Borno region, despite ongoing military efforts.

On the night of March 16, 2026, multiple bomb explosions rocked northeastern Nigeria's Borno state, specifically in Maiduguri, causing numerous casualties. At least three blasts occurred—at the entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, and the city's bustling Post Office and Monday Markets. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported significant injuries and fatalities, though an exact count has not yet been established. Over 200 people were treated at the hospital's emergency department, according to eyewitnesses and local volunteers, with many reportedly dying at the scene or en route to medical care. The attacks are suspected to be suicide bombings, although no group has claimed responsibility yet. Nigeria’s military had earlier repelled militant attacks on Maiduguri’s outskirts, underscoring the persistent threat from jihadist groups like Boko Haram and its offshoots that have targeted the region for over a decade. Borno’s Governor Babagana Umara Zulum condemned the attacks as barbaric and called for public vigilance and calm. The incident marks one of the deadliest in Maiduguri in recent years, highlighting a disturbing resurgence of extremist violence in an area that had seen relative calm.