RismadarVoice Reporters
March 17, 2026
An unspecified number of persons were feared dead and several others injured on Monday evening following bomb explosions around the popular Monday Market area of Maiduguri, Borno State, and near a security post at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
The blasts, which reportedly occurred simultaneously at about 7:02 p.m., came hours after suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents launched coordinated attacks on military formations in different parts of the state.
Confirming the incident, the Head of Operations of the Federal Fire Service in Borno State, Mohammed Kafaran, said emergency personnel had been deployed to assess the situation and support rescue efforts.
“Yes, there was a bomb explosion at the Monday Market area around Elkanemi. Our team has been deployed to the scene to assess the situation. We will provide further details shortly,” he said.
Eyewitnesses said victims were evacuated to nearby hospitals, including the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, for treatment.
Residents described scenes of panic as emergency responders moved in for rescue and assessment operations.
Earlier in the day, suspected insurgents reportedly launched simultaneous attacks on military outposts in Ajilari, Damboa and Baga.
The assaults began around 12:35 a.m., with security forces engaging the attackers in intense exchanges before eventually repelling them.
The spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, confirmed the attempted infiltrations, stating that joint security operatives comprising troops of Operation Hadin Kai, police personnel, members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, hunters and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps successfully foiled the attacks.
“Joint security operatives who were already on heightened alert engaged the insurgents in a swift and coordinated response, forcing them to retreat,” Daso said, adding that no casualties were recorded among security personnel.
He noted, however, that the attackers were believed to have suffered losses, although the exact figures were yet to be confirmed.
Residents in Maiduguri said calm had gradually returned after the incidents. One resident, Sani Kidda, said tension in the city had eased as security patrols intensified.
Sources also disclosed that the attackers targeted the 25 Task Force Brigade in Damboa Local Government Area in what appeared to be an attempt to infiltrate the town.
The attack was reportedly repelled around 1:00 a.m., though details remained sketchy at the time of filing this report.
The latest incidents come barely two weeks after insurgents reportedly overran a military base in Ngoshe, killing civilians and abducting hundreds of residents.
A group identified as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad later claimed responsibility for that attack and threatened further assaults on Maiduguri and Abuja.
Reacting to Monday’s explosions, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum condemned the attacks, describing them as “despicable, cruel and cowardly,” particularly during the holy month of Ramadan.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Dauda Iliya, the governor urged residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by reporting suspicious movements.
He assured that ongoing military operations in insurgents’ hideouts were aimed at preventing further security breaches in the state.
A counterterrorism consultant, Salaudeen Hashim, suggested that the attacks might be retaliatory, possibly linked to recent military offensives that reportedly eliminated some insurgent commanders.
Security agencies have continued to monitor the situation as rescue operations and investigations into the explosions proceed.
