According to Babagana Zulum, Nigeria’s state governor of the insurgency-hit northeastern state of Borno, and residents of the area, the city of Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno state, was attacked with explosions in various locations of the city on Monday evening, leaving many people feared killed.
This comes after the Nigerian army had released a statement earlier claiming it had fended off an attack in the surrendering areas of Maiduguri by driving back suspected Islamic extremists in the early hours of Monday.
According to witnesses and residents, the explosions struck a local post office in the city center, a popular Monday market, the University of Maidiguri Teaching Hospital, and Kaleri, a community on the eastern side of the city.
Despite the residents’ claim that many dead bodies were found at the Monday market after the attack and videos circulating online showing rescue workers attending to victims, some with torn and bloody cloths, the number of casualties or what caused the attack has not yet been revealed.
Several Bomb Attacks Hit Nigeria’s Maiduguri City In The Northeastern Borno State
Zulum revealed in a statement that many people have been killed and others injured in the attack, however, he did not state who was responsible. “The act is utterly condemnable, barbaric, and inhumane,” Zulum said.
Nahum Daso Kenneth, spokesperson of the Bono state police, said authorities deployed security personnel and emergency workers after a report of the attack, adding that “Residents are advised to remain calm and avoid the area while assessments continue.”
The Nigerian army has seen a surge in attacks by radical Islamists such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West African Province on their bases in Borno state this month, killing several servicemen and seizing weapons.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah