UPDATED: MANY FEARED DEAD AS SUSPECTED TERRORISTS DETONATE EXPLOSIVES IN BORNO
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By ‘Sefiu Ajape
Less than 24 hours after suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked Ajilari community on the outskirts of Maiduguri, three explosions rocked the city on Monday evening.
Unconfirmed reports indicated that the blasts occurred near the Post Office area in the heart of the city’s Monday Market and at the main gate of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
The explosions occurred at about 7:15 p.m., causing panic and chaos in the area.
A video obtained by Hotjist showed victims of the explosions being evacuated for medical attention at hospitals within the state capital.
Police Confirm Explosions
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, confirmed the incidents.
According to him, preliminary reports showed that the explosions occurred at the Post Office area and the main entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, although he had yet to confirm the incident at Monday Market.
“Yes, there were reports of explosions at University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital main gate and Post Office area, but the one at Monday Market, I have no information, but I will get back to you as soon as I have it,” Daso said.
He explained that the number of casualties remained unclear because victims had been taken to different hospitals across the city.
However, residents in the area feared that the explosions might have killed several people and injured many others.
A media aide to the Babagana Zulum, Dauda Iliya, told AFP that “agencies are trying to confirm if there are any casualties” from the explosions at the market and the hospital.
An AFP reporter at the hospital reportedly saw dozens of wounded people receiving treatment.
Idris Suleiman Gimba, who works with the National Blood Service Commission, also confirmed that there was a blast near the post office.
Earlier, suspected jihadists launched an overnight attack on a Nigerian military post on the outskirts of Maiduguri.
The northeastern city, which has been a major centre of the insurgency, had not experienced such attacks in recent years.
Another attack was also reported in Damboa Local Government Area, south of Maiduguri.
Militants from Boko Haram and the rival jihadist group Islamic State West Africa Province have recently intensified attacks in the North-East.
The insurgency, now in its 16th year, has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced about two million others.
Deadly Explosions
At least five explosions have been recorded in the state within the last six months.
One of them occurred on December 24, 2025, when a blast struck a mosque in Gamboru Market in Maiduguri during Maghrib prayers, killing at least five people.
Another explosion occurred at Tashan Kifi, a fish market entry point in Konduga town in June 2025, when a female suicide bomber detonated explosives.
In April 2025, an improvised explosive device detonated along the Maiduguri–Damboa Road, hitting commuters travelling in a military-escorted convoy and killing seven people.
In October 2025, Governor Zulum called on the Federal Government to immediately review the nation’s air safety and defence systems after Boko Haram militants reportedly used drones to attack a military formation in the state.
Speaking in Mafa, the governor warned about the growing threat posed by armed drones in the hands of non-state actors.
“One thing I want to comment on is the issue of drones. This is frightening. In Dikwa, I was told drones were used.
“The proliferation of drones, particularly in the hands of non-state actors, is of great concern for the entire country. We have to do something to stop the rampant use of armed drones,” Zulum said.
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