Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has strongly condemned the multiple bomb explosions that rocked Maiduguri on Monday evening and urged residents to remain calm and vigilant .
The explosions occurred almost at the same time at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Monday Market and the Post Office near the State Specialist Hospital shortly after Muslims broke their fast, causing panic across the city .
As of the time of reporting, the exact number of casualties was still unknown, but ambulances and emergency workers were seen evacuating the wounded from the different locations .
Police spokesperson for Borno State, Deputy Superintendent of Police Nahum Daso Kenneth, said police explosive ordnance disposal teams and other joint security operatives had been deployed to the affected areas to secure the scenes and support rescue efforts .
He advised residents to stay away from the affected locations while assessments continued and released emergency contact numbers for the public to report incidents or seek help .
Governor Zulum, who is currently in Saudi Arabia for the Lesser Hajj, described the attack as despicable, cruel and cowardly, particularly as it targeted innocent people during the holy month of Ramadan .
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Dauda Ilya, the governor said he was deeply saddened by the explosions and extended his condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the blasts .
He condemned the incident as barbaric and inhumane and called on residents to remain calm, continue their normal activities and promptly report any suspicious movements or objects to the security agencies .
Zulum noted that the recent surge in attacks was likely linked to intensified military operations in the Sambisa forest and other known hideouts of insurgents, and assured the public that the military and other security agencies were working to prevent further attacks .
He said adequate measures had been taken to forestall security breaches in Maiduguri and across Borno State, even as security forces remained on high alert .
Earlier on Monday, residents in communities on the outskirts of Maiduguri, including areas around Dala, Bulamari and Ajilari Cross in Konduga Local Government Area, were thrown into panic following two loud explosions and sustained gunfire .
The attack reportedly began around 12:35 a.m. near Ajilari Cross when heavily armed suspected Boko Haram insurgents opened fire, triggering a fierce gun battle with Nigerian troops and other security operatives .
Joint security forces, including the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force and other agencies, swiftly responded and engaged the attackers in intense exchanges of gunfire and explosions that echoed across parts of the city .
Residents recounted how the sounds of blasts and gunfire forced many families to flee their homes in fear, with children crying, women shouting and people rushing out with any belongings they could carry in search of safer locations .
A resident of Dala said soldiers moved through the area urging people to temporarily leave their homes for their safety as the confrontation with the insurgents intensified .
Another resident from Bulamari said many people initially assumed the gunfire was minor until the explosions continued, prompting mass movement out of the neighbourhood .
A source in Dala told reporters that many residents had already left their homes on the advice of military personnel, but calm later returned after Nigerian Army and Air Force troops successfully repelled the attackers .
Police spokesperson Nahum Daso confirmed there was a suspected terrorist attack at Ajilari Cross and said police operatives had been deployed, adding that further details would be provided after security assessments .
Security sources also disclosed that troops repelled another coordinated attack in Damboa Local Government Area in southern Borno, where insurgents attempted to strike both on the outskirts of Maiduguri and in Damboa town but were confronted in separate operations .
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