Outrage in Nigeria as President travels after deadly attack

At least 23 people were killed and more than 100 injured after multiple suspected suicide bombings struck the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, in an attack that has renewed concerns about the worsening security situation in the country.

The deadly explosions occurred Monday night in crowded public locations, yet President Bola Tinubu proceeded with a scheduled trip to the United Kingdom, a move that is already drawing criticism from many Nigerians who say the government should be focusing on the growing insecurity at home.

Police authorities said the coordinated attacks targeted busy areas of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, including the popular Monday Market and the entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. Emergency workers rushed dozens of wounded victims to nearby hospitals as panic spread across the city.

Borno police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso confirmed that the explosions were believed to have been carried out by suicide bombers. According to him, the injured sustained varying degrees of wounds, with medical facilities struggling to cope with the number of casualties.

Despite the scale of the attack, President Tinubu departed Nigeria on Tuesday for a two-day official visit to the United Kingdom. In a statement released before his departure, the president condemned the bombings and directed security chiefs to take charge of the situation, describing the attackers as evil-minded terrorists determined to destabilize the country.

However, the timing of the trip has sparked debate among citizens and political observers, many of whom argue that the worsening wave of violence across the country requires direct leadership and urgent intervention from the federal government.

No group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion has fallen on Boko Haram, the extremist group that began an insurgency in northeastern Nigeria in 2009.

The conflict has since evolved into a prolonged security crisis, with splinter factions such as the Islamic State West Africa Province continuing to carry out deadly attacks across the region.

Witnesses said the first explosion occurred around 7:30 p.m. near the hospital gate, followed minutes later by additional blasts at the Monday Market and a nearby commercial area located a few kilometers away. The nearly simultaneous explosions caused chaos as security forces and emergency responders struggled to control the situation.

One survivor, Caleb Jonah, said he was approaching the hospital when he noticed security officers confronting two men at the entrance before a loud blast knocked him unconscious, leaving him with injuries to his hands and legs.

Another resident, Mamman Usman, said his younger brother, who worked at the Monday Market, was closing his stall when the explosion occurred. He was severely injured and rushed to hospital in critical condition.

Members of the civilian joint task force assisting the military described the incident as one of the deadliest attacks in Maiduguri in recent years. Volunteer Mohammed Hassan said hospitals urgently needed blood donations as doctors struggled to treat the large number of victims.

The latest attack has once again raised questions about Nigeria’s ability to contain insurgent violence, with many citizens calling for stronger government action as insecurity continues to spread across several parts of the country.