At least 23 people were killed and 108 others injured in a series of suspected suicide bombings that struck the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, on Monday evening. State police spokesman Nahum Kenneth Daso stated in a release that preliminary investigations indicate the incidents were carried out by suspected suicide bombers, highlighting the ongoing security challenges in the region.

The blasts targeted the busy Maiduguri Monday market, the gate of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), and an area near the post office. Security forces were deployed to the affected sites, which were cordoned off and searched to eliminate any additional threats. Daso added that "normalcy has been fully restored," though the attacks have raised concerns about the resurgence of violence in an area previously seeing a lull.

These deadly explosions followed an attack on a military post overnight from Sunday to Monday, which authorities attributed to suspected Islamist militants. No group has claimed responsibility for the suspected bombings, leaving the motives and perpetrators unclear amid the volatile security landscape.

Maiduguri serves as the epicenter of Borno state, where Islamist groups such as Boko Haram and its offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been active for nearly two decades. Their campaign to establish a caliphate has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions across Nigeria's northeast. Until a few months ago, Maiduguri had not experienced a major attack since 2021, but the city remains marked by frequent checkpoints and military patrols, underscoring the persistent threat of insurgency.

Source: www.dw.com