By Our Correspondent
National News – Security operatives foiled a deadly bombing attempt at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital after three teenagers allegedly tried to sneak explosives into the medical facility concealed inside a food flask.
The incident occurred on March 16 in Maiduguri, Borno State, when the suspects reportedly attempted to bypass security checks at the hospital entrance.
According to eyewitnesses and hospital sources, the suspected teenage attackers—believed to be around 13 or 14 years old—arrived at the hospital in a tricycle popularly known as Keke Napep, pretending to be relatives delivering food to patients.
Their plan, investigators say, was to gain access to the main hospital complex and detonate the explosives among patients and visitors.
A hospital security guard, Ali Musa, explained that the teenagers’ behaviour raised suspicion when they drove toward the hospital gate at high speed instead of slowing down for routine security screening.
“When they approached, they did not slow down for checks. I stopped them and asked them to reverse,” Musa said, noting that their refusal to comply immediately heightened concerns about their intentions.
He said that as the suspects reversed the tricycle, one of them suddenly threw the food flask toward him.
Musa instinctively kicked the flask away before it exploded moments later near the entrance, preventing the device from being taken deeper into the hospital premises.
The blast triggered chaos outside the hospital, killing at least 23 people and leaving about 108 others injured. Musa and another security officer on duty were among those wounded in the explosion.
Eyewitnesses said a second bomb later detonated nearby, further increasing the casualties and forcing emergency responders to evacuate victims from the scene.
On the same day, another explosion occurred at the popular Monday Market in Maiduguri around 7:05 pm.
Witnesses believe a separate suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest carried out the attack, leaving several people dead or injured.
Following the attacks in Maiduguri, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed Nigeria’s service chiefs to relocate temporarily to Borno State to strengthen security operations and curb the rising wave of terrorist attacks in the region.
Senior military leaders, including the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army Staff, later arrived in the state capital to coordinate security responses and investigate the incident.
