Maiduguri city has been at the heart of the deadly violence but has in recent years experienced relative peace even as the countryside is often battered by extremists. Witnesses recounted the chaos that followed at the scenes and at hospitals as security forces and the emergency services quickly intervened. “This attack has been one of the deadliest in Maiduguri in years,” said Mohammed Hassan, a member of a volunteer group assisting security forces in fighting extremists. The multiple attacks could be seen as a major victory for the jihadis in a city seen as impregnable despite the jihadis often targeting troops and villages on the outskirts of the city. Past attacks in the city have been limited to one-off incidents, including a suicide attack that killed five at a mosque on Christmas Eve last year.
