Multiple blasts rock Maiduguri during Ramadan fast-break

By Austine Emmanuel

Panic gripped the residents of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Monday evening as a series of explosions reverberated throughout the city.

The blasts, which occurred shortly after 7:00 p.m. as residents were breaking their daily Ramadan fast, are suspected to have been caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by Boko Haram insurgents.

Reports indicate that the explosions targeted high-traffic areas, including the entrance to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), the Monday Market Roundabout, and the Elkanemi district.

While the scale of the damage is still being assessed, the timing of the attacks coinciding with the evening prayer and meal appeared designed to maximize chaos and fear among the civilian population.

The evening's violence followed an earlier confrontation on the city's outskirts, where suspected insurgents launched an assault on a military facility in the Ajilari community.

During that encounter, the attackers reportedly set portions of the base on fire and seized a military patrol vehicle before being engaged by security forces.

Military sources stated that the initial attack was successfully repelled, resulting in the deaths of several insurgents, though others managed to retreat into the bush with gunshot wounds.

As of the time of publication, official casualty figures from the city-wide explosions remain unconfirmed.