Fresh details have emerged on how three teenagers allegedly attempted to bomb the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) using explosives concealed inside a food flask before security personnel intercepted them at the hospital entrance.
The attempted attack occurred on March 16, when the suspects were reportedly denied entry into the facility, triggering explosions at the hospital gate.
The attacks were part of a series of bomb blasts in Maiduguri, Borno State, which left no fewer than 23 people dead and 108 others injured.
According to The PUNCH, a security officer at the hospital, Ali Musa, said the suspects arrived at the facility in a tricycle popularly known as Keke Napep, pretending to be relatives bringing food to patients.
He said the suspects were teenagers who attempted to evade security checks.
He said, “We had heard about the bomb blast at the post office and immediately tightened security at our post. We were two on duty at the time, while others had gone to break their fast.”
Musa added that the suspects approached the gate at high speed, raising suspicion.
“They were three in number—two boys and one rider of the tricycle. I think they were around 13 or 14 years old. They looked very unkempt. I suspected something was wrong with the way they drove in,” he said.
Musa explained that when he asked the suspects to reverse the tricycle, one of them threw the food flask containing the explosive device.
“They were reversing the tricycle and, while doing that, one of them holding the flask threw it at me. I kicked the flask back, and it fell. I then heard a loud explosion and immediately lay flat on the ground,” he said.
The blast left Musa injured while also affecting his colleague.
“After the blast, I tried to rush to where my colleague was standing to check on her, but I met her with a broken leg. I also saw an Almajiri boy lying on the ground,” he added.
He said another explosion occurred shortly afterward near the hospital entrance.
A shop owner near the hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the attackers appeared to have targeted the hospital.
“They wanted to blow up parts of the hospital,” she said.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had yet to release specific figures for casualties resulting from the hospital blast alone.
Investigations also revealed that the Monday Market explosion, which occurred around 7:05 pm on the same day, may have been carried out by a separate suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest.
An eyewitness identified simply as Fati, who works at a shop near the market, described the incident as frightening.
“That night was terrifying. I have never seen anything like it in my life,” she said.
“I later heard that they found a boy whose body was completely destroyed. The impact on that boy was worse than on others, so they suspected he was the bomb carrier.”
Following the attacks, which triggered nationwide concern, President Bola Tinubu directed the service chiefs to relocate to Borno State to address the security situation.
In response to the directive, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, arrived in Maiduguri on the morning of Wednesday, March 18 to coordinate security operations in the state.