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Nigeria suicide bombings killed at least 23 people and wounded more than 100 others in Maiduguri, officials said Tuesday, as a Christian nonprofit leader warned the violence highlights ongoing religious persecution.
The Associated Press reported that one of the deadliest attacks on Maiduguri in recent history involved explosions in crowded areas on Monday night, including a major market in the capital of Borno state and the entrance to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
Borno police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso said in a statement that the wounded “sustained varying degrees of injuries,” blaming the attacks on suspected suicide bombers.
President Bola Tinubu, who departed Nigeria on Tuesday for a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom, offered condolences to the victims and instructed security chiefs to “take charge of the situation” in Maiduguri.
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“The Monday attacks were desperate acts of the evil-minded terrorist groups,” Tinubu said. “Our gallant military and civilian task forces will curtail and put them down.”
While no group has claimed responsibility, the AP reported suspicion has fallen on the Boko Haram jihadi group, which launched an insurgency in northeastern Nigeria in 2009 to enforce its radical interpretation of Shariah law.
Since launching its insurgency, Boko Haram has grown stronger, with thousands of fighters and multiple factions, some aligned with the Islamic State group.
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The explosions on Monday night began at about 7:30 p.m. at the entrance of the teaching hospital. A few minutes later, a second and third blast followed at the Monday Market and a nearby post office hub, both about 2.5 miles from the hospital.
Caleb Jonah, who survived the explosion at the hospital entrance, told the AP he suffered injuries to his legs and hands.
“I was coming to the hospital to check (in on) a patient when I saw two men struggling with the security men at the gate,” Jonah said. “Before I could process what was going on I heard the deafening blast and I passed out.”
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Brad Brandon, CEO and founder of Across Nigeria, said the attack was personal. His organization is committed to transforming Nigeria and the surrounding regions by sharing the love of God through Jesus Christ, according to the group’s website.
“As the CEO and founder of Across Nigeria, these recent attacks in Maiduguri are personal and a stark reminder that the devastating violence continues in northern Nigeria,” he said in a statement. “This is the result of radical Islamic groups that are allowed to operate unchecked. The only question is, how many more must be killed, before the world wakes up to the genocide that slaughters thousands of Christians every year.”
“We condemn these violent acts and the perpetrators who commit them,” he added. “We also call on the U.S. Government to intervene and the media to embrace their role in bringing light to the hidden things of darkness.”
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While Maiduguri has been at the center of deadly violence in Nigeria, it has experienced relative peace in recent years, even as extremists batter the countryside.
Monday’s attack took place less than 24 hours after the Nigerian military repelled attacks by militants outside Maiduguri.
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By Tuesday morning, heavy security had been deployed to the affected locations and along major roads.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
