By SCM Reporter I Maiduguri, Nigeria
A COORDINATED wave of suicide bombings has ripped through the city of Maiduguri, leaving at least 20 people dead and more than 200 fighting for their lives in one of the deadliest attacks to hit the region in years.
Terror returned to the heart of Borno State on Monday night as three separate explosions tore through crowded public spaces, targeting a hospital entrance and two of the city’s busiest markets.
The first blast reportedly struck the entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, followed shortly by twin detonations at the Monday Market and the Post Office district.
Witnesses described a scene of “pure carnage” as the evening rush turned into a bloodbath. Bagoni Alkali, who rushed victims to the emergency ward, told reporters:
”So many people died at the scene immediately after the bomb exploded. It is disheartening. The hospital is overwhelmed with over 200 people injured.”
The markets, which were packed with locals finishing their daily trade, bore the brunt of the devastation. Emergency workers and volunteers from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) worked through the night under floodlights to pull bodies from the wreckage.
Mohammed Hassan, a local volunteer, confirmed he personally evacuated 10 bodies from the market sites alone. “We are in dire need of blood,” he pleaded. “The wards are full of people who were just trying to buy food for their families.”
Borno’s Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, condemned the “barbaric and inhumane” acts in a late-night statement. He urged the people of Maiduguri to remain calm but vigilant as security forces flooded the streets to prevent further attacks.
Death Toll: 20 confirmed (expected to rise)
Injured: 200+ receiving emergency care
Primary Targets: Teaching Hospital, Monday Market, Post Office Market
While no group has yet officially claimed responsibility, the triple-strike carries all the hallmarks of Boko Haram, the jihadi group that has waged a 17-year insurgency in northeastern Nigeria.
Military officials had previously claimed the extremists were on the back foot, but this latest atrocity—occurring right in the state capital—serves as a grim reminder that the terror group remains a potent and deadly threat.
