Nigeria’s top military and security chiefs have relocated to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive in response to the recent deadly bombings in the city.
The move comes after coordinated explosions rocked Maiduguri on Monday night, leaving at least 23 people dead and more than 100 others injured, in what authorities suspect were suicide attacks targeting crowded public locations.
President Tinubu, who is currently on an official visit to the United Kingdom, condemned the attacks and ordered an immediate escalation of security operations in the region.
According to reports, the President directed security chiefs to relocate to the state “to take charge of the situation,” with a mandate to stabilise the area and prevent further attacks.
The coordinated assaults struck key locations including a market, a post office, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, causing widespread panic and casualties among civilians.
Security agencies have since intensified patrols across the city, while investigations are ongoing to determine those responsible. Preliminary findings indicate the attacks were carried out by “suspected suicide bombers,” with Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), believed to be behind the violence.
The presidency described the attacks as acts of terror aimed at destabilising the region, reaffirming the government’s commitment to defeating insurgency in the North-East.
The directive for service chiefs to relocate underscores the urgency of the situation, as authorities seek to restore calm in Maiduguri, a city that has long been at the centre of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency efforts.
