“They Were Breaking Fast… Then Bombs Exploded” – Death Toll Hits 23, Over 140 Injured in Maiduguri Ramadan Attack

Follow

( 0 Followers )

X

Follow

E-mail : *

Follow Unfollow

Fresh details have emerged following the deadly explosions that rocked Maiduguri, with authorities confirming that at least 23 people have been killed and no fewer than 146 others injured in the coordinated attacks.

The blasts, which occurred on Monday evening during Ramadan Iftar, targeted crowded civilian locations across the city, including the entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), the bustling Monday Market axis, and the Post Office area.

The updated figures were disclosed by officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), who confirmed that a total of 169 victims were evacuated to hospitals across the city.

According to NEMA representative Surajo Abdullahi, 108 victims are currently receiving treatment at UMTH, while 20 others are at Umaru Shehu Hospital and 17 at Maiduguri Specialist Hospital.

Residents say the explosions have shattered the relative calm the city had experienced in recent years, triggering panic and reviving painful memories of past insurgent violence.

One resident, who spoke anonymously, described the attack as a “chilling return to dark days,” noting that the scale and coordination of the blasts have reignited fears of a resurgence in insecurity.

Security agencies, including the Borno State Police Command and the military task force Operation HADIN KAI, have maintained that the explosions bear the hallmarks of coordinated suicide bombings.

Suspicion has again fallen on Boko Haram, the extremist group responsible for a prolonged insurgency in Nigeria’s northeast.

In response, the police have deployed explosive ordnance disposal units to sweep affected areas and prevent further incidents, while joint security operatives and emergency responders have taken control of the situation.

The latest attack comes just hours after another reported assault on a military location in Ajilari, an outskirt of Maiduguri, raising fresh concerns about a possible escalation of violence in the region.

The city had not witnessed such large-scale coordinated attacks in years. The last major incident dates back to 2021, when suspected insurgents launched mortar attacks that killed at least 10 people, followed by a suicide bombing at a mosque in Gambarou market.

The renewed violence has sparked outrage and concern nationwide, with many Nigerians calling for urgent and decisive action from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and security agencies.

As hospitals continue to battle the rising number of casualties, Maiduguri residents are left grappling with fear, grief, and uncertainty.

Authorities warn that casualty figures may still rise as investigations continue and more victims are accounted for.