- Coordinated suicide bombings rocked the Borno State capital on Monday evening, targeting the Maiduguri Monday Market, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital gate, and the Post Office Flyover area.
- The Borno State Police Command has confirmed that 23 lives were lost in the devastating blasts, while 108 survivors are currently battling varying degrees of injuries in local medical facilities.
- Security agencies have heightened surveillance and restored a fragile normalcy to the city, while emergency responders from NEMA and SEMA continue to manage the humanitarian aftermath of the attacks.
A wave of coordinated suicide bombings has plunged Maiduguri into mourning, with official figures confirming 23 fatalities and 108 injuries following the attacks on Monday evening, March 16, 2026.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the explosions, which occurred almost simultaneously around 7:24 pm, struck three of the city’s most prominent places: the bustling Monday Market, the entrance to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), and the Post Office Flyover area.
EDITOR’S PICK
- Ogun Begins Crackdown on Illegal Parks at Sango Border Over Rising Accidents
- Police Nab 30-Year-Old ‘Super M’ During Stop-and-Search in Lagos
- LASG Launches Investigation Into Cosmetic Surgery Death
The timing of the blasts coincided with the breaking of the Ramadan fast (Iftar), a period when many residents were either in transit or gathered in public spaces.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Daso, revealed that the carnage was the work of suspected suicide bombers using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
The Force’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit Base 13 was immediately deployed to sweep the affected scenes to ensure no unexploded secondary devices remained to threaten rescue workers.
Security forces, including a combined team of police tactical units and the military, have since cordoned off the impact zones.
Eyewitness accounts and video footage from the UMTH gate showed a scene of chaos, with security personnel inspecting vehicles by torchlight amidst the wreckage.
One chilling video captured the immediate aftermath at a security checkpoint, where a lifeless body lay beside a car as a voice in Hausa confirmed that the “bomb has exploded at the security checkpoint.”
The injured victims were swiftly evacuated by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
Most are currently receiving intensive care at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and other nearby clinics. Medical personnel are working around the clock to stabilize the 108 survivors, many of whom sustained life-threatening trauma from the shrapnel-filled blasts.
While the Police Command has assured the public that normalcy has been restored and surveillance heightened across the metropolis, the atmosphere in Maiduguri remains tense.
Authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movements or abandoned packages to the nearest security post.
This latest incident serves as a grim reminder of the persistent security challenges in the Northeast, even as the government continues its efforts to safeguard lives and property in the region.
