Multiple explosions struck parts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Monday evening, less than 24 hours after suspected insurgents attacked a community on the city’s outskirts.

The blasts occurred at about 7:15 p.m., triggering panic among residents in several areas of the city.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that the explosions happened near the Post Office area, around the busy Monday Market, and at the main gate of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Borno State, ASP Nahum Daso, confirmed that security agencies received reports of explosions at the hospital entrance and the Post Office area.

“Yes, there were reports of explosions at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital main gate and the Post Office area. But regarding the one at Monday Market, I have no information yet. I will provide updates as soon as I have them,” Daso said.

He added that the number of casualties had yet to be confirmed as victims were taken to different hospitals across the city.

However, residents feared the blasts may have resulted in several deaths and injuries.

A media aide to the Borno State Governor, Dauda Iliya, told AFP that authorities were still working to determine whether there were casualties from the explosions at the market and the hospital.

An AFP reporter at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital said dozens of wounded people were seen arriving at the facility for treatment.

Idris Suleiman Gimba of the National Blood Service Commission also confirmed that a blast occurred near the Post Office area.

The explosions came hours after suspected jihadist fighters launched an overnight attack on a Nigerian military post on the outskirts of Maiduguri.

Another assault was also reported in Damboa Local Government Area, south of the state capital.

Maiduguri, a major city in Nigeria’s North-East, had experienced relative calm in recent years.

However, fighters linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have recently intensified attacks across the region.

Nigeria’s 16-year insurgency in the North-East has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced about two million.

The Nigeria Police Force in Ondo State has dismissed reports that bandits were arrested at the Akure Airport, clarifying that the suspects apprehended were logistics suppliers aiding kidnappers.

The clarification followed an earlier statement by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which said four bandits were arrested behind the airport perimeter during a coordinated security operation involving aviation and local security agencies.

However, in a statement on Monday, police spokesperson Abayomi Jimoh urged the public to disregard the report, describing it as inaccurate and misleading.

According to Jimoh, the police acted on credible intelligence from a concerned citizen about suspected kidnappers operating around the Eleyewo axis of Akure.

“Operatives of the command launched a targeted operation in the area which led to the arrest of two suspects,” the statement said.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were logistics suppliers assisting kidnapping operations within parts of the state.

The police added that the suspects had made confessional statements that are helping ongoing investigations aimed at apprehending other members of the criminal network.

The police also stressed that no security breach occurred at the airport facility.

Speaking with journalists in Akure, the state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, reiterated that the claim that four bandits were arrested at the airport was incorrect.

“We don’t have bandits in Ondo State. We have criminals, not bandits,” Lawal said.

He explained that two suspects were arrested along the Eleyewo and Ilu-Abo axis, while another suspect picked up in Ilu-Abo was not connected to the initial arrests.

Lawal further clarified that the suspects were not arrested inside the airport as suggested by FAAN, but were later taken close to the area during investigations while leading security operatives to other possible hideouts.

The clarification comes amid rising insecurity in parts of the state, particularly in Akure North Local Government Area.

Earlier this month, residents of Ayede Ogbese community blocked the Akure-Owo-Benin highway to protest repeated killings and abductions.

Days later, residents of Ilu-Abo and neighbouring communities also barricaded the Akure-Owo expressway over growing cases of kidnapping in the area.

Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, has directed an immediate recalibration of military operations across multiple theatres following an emergency combat audit with the country’s Service Chiefs.

The high-level meeting, held at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters, reviewed the recent wave of brazen terrorist attacks and assessed the current military strategy against insurgents, bandits and other armed groups.

Speaking after the meeting, the defence minister said the Service Chiefs had been mandated to intensify and reorganise operations nationwide to dismantle the networks of terrorists and criminal gangs threatening national security.

He disclosed that commanders have been instructed to exercise direct, on-site leadership in various operational theatres to improve coordination and maintain sustained pressure on armed groups.

According to him, the meeting also carried out a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s national military strategy aimed at strengthening operational effectiveness and ensuring that ongoing missions deliver measurable results.

While noting that details of troop movements and tactical adjustments would remain classified for security reasons, Musa assured Nigerians that the armed forces are taking decisive steps to confront emerging threats.

He said the military has already recorded progress in recent operations, including the neutralisation of key terrorist commanders and the disruption of several insurgent networks.

The defence minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continuing military operations until terrorist and bandit groups are completely dismantled.

Musa assured citizens that the armed forces would maintain relentless pressure on criminal elements to restore stability and protect lives and property across the country.