President Bola Tinubu has ordered security chiefs to relocate to Maiduguri, Borno State, to take charge of counter-insurgency operations following Monday’s coordinated terror attacks that left 23 people dead and 108 injured. The attacks, blamed on Boko Haram, occurred at the Monday Market, Post Office flyover, and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital gate. Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu has arrived in Maiduguri to assess the situation and sympathize with victims.
Tinubu described the attacks as “desperate attempts” by terrorists under sustained military pressure, assuring that the government will “locate, confront, and completely defeat” them. The military has repelled coordinated attacks by ISWAP fighters, killing seven terrorists and recovering weapons.
Security has been heightened in neighboring Yobe State, with police urging residents to remain vigilant. The Nigeria Governors’ Forum and other political leaders have condemned the attacks, calling for decisive action against terrorism.
Before the March 16, 2026, bombings, Maiduguri’s last major attack was in 2021 when Boko Haram fired mortars at the city, killing 10. A smaller suicide bombing hit a mosque in December 2025, killing seven.
