President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed Nigeria’s top security chiefs to immediately relocate to Maiduguri following multiple deadly explosions that rocked the city, leaving at least 23 people dead and over 100 others injured.
The directive was announced in a State House statement issued on Tuesday, just hours after coordinated blasts struck key locations across the Borno State capital on Monday evening, causing widespread panic among residents.
The explosions, suspected to have been carried out by suicide bombers, occurred at the Maiduguri Monday Market, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital gate, and the Post Office Flyover.
Confirming the incident, the Borno State Police Command said 23 persons lost their lives while 108 others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Reacting, President Tinubu described the attack as “profoundly upsetting,” expressing condolences to the victims and solidarity with the people of Borno State.
“I mourn those who lost their lives, sympathise with the injured and stand in solidarity with the people of Borno during this challenging time,” he said.
The president, however, described the attacks as desperate attempts by insurgents under sustained pressure from Nigerian security forces.
“These acts of terror are the final desperate and frantic attempts by criminals and terrorist elements trying to instill fear, as they are under constant pressure from our armed forces,” Tinubu stated.
In response to the scale of the attack, he ordered security chiefs to move to Maiduguri and take charge of on-ground operations, while also directing emergency agencies to ensure prompt medical attention for victims.
Tinubu further disclosed that he had recently approved additional military equipment and operational support to boost security efforts following a high-level security meeting.
The attack, which occurred around 7:24 pm during iftar in the holy month of Ramadan, heightened civilian vulnerability and contributed to the high casualty figures.
Security agencies, including the police, military, and explosive ordnance teams, were swiftly deployed to cordon off affected areas and conduct sweep operations to prevent further attacks.
Emergency responders such as the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) evacuated victims to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Authorities say calm has since returned to Maiduguri, with heightened surveillance and security presence across the city.
Despite repeated government assurances of progress against insurgency, the incident has once again raised concerns over persistent security threats in Nigeria’s North-East.
“There is no place in Nigeria where terrorists will find safety. We will locate them, confront them, and completely defeat them,” Tinubu assured.
