The Nigerian Army has urged residents of Maiduguri to remain alert and avoid crowded areas following intelligence indicating the possible presence of additional suicide bombers in the city. This comes after Monday’s deadly attacks, which left 23 people dead and 108 others injured.
In a statement on Tuesday, Lt. Col. Sanni Uba, Media Information Officer of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, said the alert followed coordinated bombings at busy public locations during the evening rush.
The explosions occurred around 7:05 p.m. on Monday, coinciding with Iftar, as the attackers detonated improvised explosive devices in crowded areas, aiming to inflict maximum casualties and sow widespread panic.
Uba described the assaults as cowardly and noted that preliminary intelligence suggests the perpetrators, believed to be members of Boko Haram, may have deployed multiple suicide bombers in Maiduguri to carry out coordinated strikes.
“Preliminary information further indicates that the terrorists may have deployed multiple suicide bombers into Maiduguri with the intention of carrying out coordinated suicide bombings at crowded locations,” he said.
He added that security forces have intensified surveillance, patrols and counter-improvised explosive device operations across the metropolis to track down any remaining suspects and prevent further attacks.
Emergency response teams, including officials of the National Emergency Management Agency and medical personnel, evacuated victims to the General Hospital, Specialist Hospital and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, where the injured are receiving treatment.
The Army assured residents that efforts were ongoing to stabilise the security situation but urged the public to stay alert, avoid large gatherings and immediately report suspicious movements, unattended items or unusual activities to security agencies.