President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed top security officials to move to Maiduguri following Monday’s coordinated suicide bombings in Borno State, which left at least 23 people dead and more than 100 injured, even as he continues his historic state visit to the United Kingdom.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Tinubu described the attacks as “final desperate and frantic attempts by criminals and terrorist elements trying to instil and spread fear” and extended condolences to the families of the victims while expressing solidarity with the people of Borno.
He commended the bravery of the Nigerian Armed Forces for repelling simultaneous assaults on military positions, adding that “our gallant military and civilian task forces will curtail and put down” such attacks.
The President noted that additional operational support and equipment had been approved for security agencies during a weekend meeting, and emergency agencies have been instructed to ensure proper care for the injured.
The attacks, carried out by suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers, struck crowded public areas in Maiduguri, including the Post Office area, Monday Market axis, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, coinciding with Ramadan fast-breaking. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and panic, with victims rushed to hospitals across the city.
Lt. Col. Sanni Uba of the Northeast Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, confirmed that troops and police explosive ordnance teams responded swiftly to secure the areas, evacuate the injured, and intensify patrols to prevent further incidents.
The bombings came hours after insurgents attacked military positions in Ajilari, Damboa, and Baga, but joint security forces repelled them, with no casualties among troops. Residents reported sporadic gunfire during the incursions, though calm has largely been restored.
Governor Babagana Zulum, currently performing the Lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia, condemned the attacks as “despicable, cruel, and cowardly,” while former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso described the bombings as a setback to recent peace and urged urgent action by authorities.
Security experts warned that the coordinated assaults demonstrate that insurgents retain significant operational capability, with threats persisting along the Sambisa–Lake Chad corridor.
Tinubu, who departed Abuja on Tuesday for a state visit to the United Kingdom, assured Nigerians that security agencies would continue to track and confront terrorist elements. “There is no place in Nigeria where terrorists will find safety. We will locate them, confront them, and completely defeat them. Nigeria will not succumb to fear,” his statement read.
During the UK visit, Tinubu is scheduled to meet King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer to strengthen bilateral ties, while federal security forces intensify operations on the ground in Borno.