The federal government has ordered senior security chiefs to relocate temporarily to Maiduguri after a series of explosions killed at least 23 people in the north-eastern city, pledging to track down those responsible.
President Bola Tinubu condemned the attacks, describing them as desperate attempts by criminal and terrorist groups to spread fear amid mounting pressure from security forces.
In a statement on Tuesday, Tinubu said he had directed the nation’s security leadership to take charge on the ground in Borno State, and instructed emergency agencies to ensure proper care for the injured.
The President said security had been reinforced nationwide and warned that there would be no safe haven for those behind the violence, vowing that they would be located and defeated.
He also praised the “courage and fighting spirit” of troops who repelled coordinated attacks on military positions in the state, adding that additional equipment and operational support had recently been approved and was already being rolled out.
Police in Borno said the blasts, which struck multiple locations on Monday, were carried out by suspected suicide bombers.
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The state police command confirmed that 23 people were killed and 108 injured, saying a joint force comprising police tactical units, the military and other security agencies have since been deployed, while emergency responders evacuated victims and hospitals treated the wounded.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as people fled an initial explosion at a market towards a nearby exit by the post office, where a second blast followed minutes later.
One survivor said the proximity of the two locations drew fleeing crowds into the path of another attacker.
In Abuja, the Northern Senators’ Forum said it was shocked by the incident and expressed condolences to the people and government of Borno.
Its leader, Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, said the federal authorities would work to restore public confidence in the city and urge Nigerians to remain calm and support security efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
The attack came as President Tinubu was preparing to depart for a state visit to the United Kingdom, the first by a Nigerian leader in nearly four decades.
Tags:#BornoState, #TerrorAttack, #MaiduguriBlasts, #BolaTinubu