Nigeria’s top military leadership has relocated to Maiduguri following deadly bomb attacks that killed at least 23 people and left more than 100 others injured, in what authorities describe as a resurgence of insurgent violence in the region.

President Bola Tinubu directed the immediate deployment of service chiefs to Borno State to take charge of the security situation. In compliance with the directive, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, arrived in the state capital approximately 24 hours after the order was issued.

Upon arrival at the Maiduguri Air Force Base, the senior officers were received by the Theatre Commander and proceeded directly to the headquarters of the Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai. The Chief of Defence Staff subsequently inspected a quarterguard mounted in his honour.

The service chiefs are expected to engage with frontline troops, government officials, and other key stakeholders as part of efforts to address the renewed wave of attacks attributed to Boko Haram insurgents. Their presence in the state underscores the federal government’s intent to closely monitor and contain the evolving security threats.

The attacks, which occurred on Monday evening, triggered widespread fear among residents who had experienced relative calm in recent years. Suspected suicide bombers carried out coordinated explosions at multiple locations, including a busy market, the entrance of the city’s largest teaching hospital, and a nearby post office.

Military authorities have blamed the incidents on Boko Haram militants and warned of a heightened risk of further suicide attacks, particularly in the closing days of the Ramadan period.

President Tinubu condemned the violence, describing it as a desperate attempt by terrorist elements to instill fear among the populace.

“These acts of terror are the final desperate and frantic attempts by criminals and terrorist elements trying to instil and spread fear,” the president said.