Bombs exploded in at least three locations in northeastern Nigeria’s Borno state Monday night, killing and injuring several people, emergency services told The Associated Press, citing possible suicide bombings.
Explosions were heard in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, where Nigeria’s homegrown jihadist Boko Haram has been waging an insurgency for more than a decade.
Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency or NEMA head of operations Sirajo Abdullahi said the blasts occurred at the entrance of the University of Maiduguri teaching hospital and at two local markets known as the Post Office and Monday Market.
“There are disasters and they are still treating the injured in the hospital,” Abdullahi said. “We can’t give an actual figure until we count.”
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the suspected bombing.
Nigeria’s military, in a statement earlier, said it had repelled an attack by suspected Islamic militants in the early hours of Monday on the outskirts of Maiduguri.
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For years, Nigeria has been grappling with a complex security crisis from various armed groups, especially in the northern part of the country.
Jihadi militant groups, including Boko Haram and an offshoot of it, have been blamed for intensified attacks this month targeting Nigerian military bases in the country’s northeast. But attacks have become rare after military operations in recent years in Maiduguri, Borno state, the epicenter of Nigeria’s 17-year battle with militant armed groups.
Bagoni Alkali, who witnessed the explosion, told The Associated Press that the injured were brought to a hospital for emergency treatment.
“Right now, more than 200 people are injured and receiving care at the accident and emergency department,” Alkali said.
“To be honest, I can tell you that many people lost their lives immediately after the bomb went off. It’s disappointing,” he said.
Mohammad Hasan, a member of a volunteer group that often helps security forces in the conflict against armed militants, said 10 bodies had been moved from the post office and Monday markets.
“Many victims were rushed to the emergency department, but some died at the hospital. We need blood,” he said. “This attack is the deadliest in Maiduguri in years.”
In a statement on Monday, Borno Governor Babagana Umara Zulum strongly condemned the blasts.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and those injured as a result of the blast. This act is absolutely reprehensible, barbaric and inhumane,” Zulum said.
He called on residents to remain calm, engage in their usual activities and report any suspicious movement or activity to security agencies.
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