Maiduguri, Borno State – Multiple suicide bombings struck three busy locations in Maiduguri on Monday evening, March 16, 2026, killing at least 23 people and injuring 108 others, according to the Borno State Police Command.

The explosions targeted the Maiduguri Monday Market, the gate of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), and the Post Office Flyover area during the Iftar period, when crowds gather to break their Ramadan fast. Authorities described the attacks as carried out by suspected suicide bombers, marking one of the deadliest incidents in the city in recent years.

Security forces, including police and military personnel from Operation Hadin Kai, responded swiftly to secure the scenes, conduct sweep operations, and restore normalcy. Heightened security presence has been deployed across Maiduguri to prevent further attacks.

Among the injured is Mohammed Babagana Bukar, an 18-year-old provision kiosk owner at the Post Office area. He recounted the moment of the blast: “I started to run for safety when I heard the explosion,” he said. “I didn’t know that I was already injured until I saw myself bleeding. I sustained major injuries in both legs and chest.”

Bukar was rushed to the Specialist Hospital, where he is receiving treatment.

His brother, Isa Mohammed, described the panic: “I was disturbed when I heard my mom crying,” he said. “I thought never Bukar is alive until I rushed to the hospital and saw him responding to treatment.”

In another account, Fatima Umar, wife of victim Umar, received a chilling call from her husband shortly after the blasts. Expecting his usual request to open the gate upon returning from work, she was stunned by his words: “Come to the specialist hospital, I was affected by a bomb blast. And that’s all.”

The mother of four was initially denied entry to the hospital by security operatives managing the large, fearful crowd. “I cried for hours when I was denied access. When I dialed his phone to hear from him, the phone was switched off and I concluded that he has passed on,” she said. “After receiving several assurances from his brothers that he is alive, they took me home.”

Returning on Tuesday, Fatima was relieved to find Umar alive and undergoing treatment, though she remains anxious: “He’s alive for now, but I’m still worried looking at the degree of the injuries he sustained in his head and stomach.”

The attacks follow an insurgent assault on Kofa and Ajalari communities in Maiduguri’s suburbs less than 24 hours earlier, leaving residents reeling.

From faraway Makkah, Saudi Arabia, where he is performing the lesser Hajj, Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum condemned the incident: “I am deeply saddened by the explosions that occurred in parts of the metropolis on Monday evening. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and those injured as a result of the blast. The act is utterly condemnable, barbaric, and inhumane.”

President Bola Tinubu directed security chiefs to relocate to Maiduguri to take charge of the situation. He vowed intensified efforts against criminal elements and described the attacks as “the final desperate and frantic attempts by criminals and terrorist elements trying to instil and spread fear, as they are under constant pressure from our brave armed forces and security agencies operating in various theatres.”

Investigations continue, with authorities urging residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities.