Maiduguri

At least 23 people were killed and over 100 others injured in suspected suicide bomb attacks in Maiduguri, police said on Tuesday, describing it as one of the deadliest incidents in the city in recent years.

According to authorities, multiple explosions occurred on Monday night at crowded locations, including a busy market and near the entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Borno police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso said 23 people lost their lives while 108 others sustained injuries of varying severity. He added that the attacks were believed to have been carried out by suicide bombers.

No group has officially claimed responsibility so far, but suspicion has fallen on Boko Haram, which has been waging an insurgency in northeastern Nigeria since 2009 in an attempt to impose its interpretation of Islamic law.

The group has evolved over the years, with multiple factions, including the Islamic State West Africa Province, which is linked to the Islamic State.

Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, has long been at the centre of the conflict. While the city has seen relative calm in recent times, rural areas continue to witness frequent extremist violence.

Residents described scenes of panic and chaos following the blasts. A local volunteer assisting security forces said the attack was among the worst the city had experienced in years and highlighted an urgent need for blood donations for the injured.

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In recent months, extremist groups have stepped up assaults on Nigerian military bases, resulting in casualties among security personnel and the seizure of weapons and ammunition.