Maiduguri suicide bombings leave dozens injured as violence returns

The explosions, which hit the city’s main market, a post office area and other locations, left dozens wounded, according to witnesses and local officials. The attacks followed an overnight assault on a nearby military post, raising fears of a renewed موجة of insurgent activity linked to groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.

Eyewitness Modu Bukar described scenes of panic as the blasts unfolded:

Modu Bukar, eyewitness: “We were sitting when we suddenly heard a loud explosion [BOOM]. Everyone immediately started running in fear. As we ran, people kept shouting that we should keep going. Later, we learned that the other explosion near the Post Office was also caused by a man carrying a bomb. While people were still fleeing, another explosion occurred around the Post Office area.”

As chaos spread, residents turned into first responders, helping evacuate victims to nearby medical facilities, including the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Modu Bukar, eyewitness: “We tried to assist the victims as much as we could. Some of the injured, as well as the bodies of those who lost their lives, were taken to the Teaching Hospital, the General Hospital, and Umaru Shehu Hospital. We helped transport them. However, the number of people injured and those who died was so large that we cannot even estimate the exact figure.”

Another witness, Mala Mohammed, said the scale of the tragedy was overwhelming:

Mala Mohammed, eyewitness: “From what I personally saw with my own eyes, there were at least ten bodies on the ground. Honestly, I did not count them one by one because I could not bear to do so. But there were many dead, and the number of injured people was even higher.”

Authorities say investigations are ongoing, as security forces tighten controls across Maiduguri amid concerns that the fragile peace in the region may be unraveling.