Maiduguri has been a beacon of culture, commerce, and learning for centuries. Its spirit is far older and stronger than the forces seeking to destroy it. The city must rise from the ashes for the sake of both the living and the dead.
By Shu’aibu Usman Leman
The fragile calm that had settled over Maiduguri was brutally shattered on March 16, 2026, as the city once again became a theatre of senseless carnage. This wave of explosions tore through a community that has spent over a decade attempting to rebuild itself.
The attacks in the heart of Borno State are a stark reminder that the embers of insurgency are far from extinguished. For residents, such violence is not news—it is a personal trauma that touches every home.
The choice of targets reveals a calculated cruelty aimed at the foundations of civic life and human dignity. By attempting to attack the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, the perpetrators desecrated a sanctuary of healing, turning hope into corridors of blood and despair.
This assault is a blatant violation of humanitarian norms and demonstrates the utter lack of empathy among those responsible. Hospitals must remain safe havens; attacking them is an affront to the values that hold society together.
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Equally devastating was the strike on Monday Market, a sprawling hub that serves as the economic heartbeat of the region. It is not merely a place of trade; it is a social anchor where thousands gather to earn a living and maintain a sense of normality.
To bomb such a location is to attack the city’s very sustenance, aiming to undermine both livelihoods and community spirit. The Post Office area, another vital civic landmark, was similarly plunged into chaos, further destabilising daily life.
Reports indicate at least 23 people lost their lives, while over 100 others fight for survival in overstretched hospital wards. Each number represents a father, a mother, or a child whose future has been cruelly stolen.
The grief radiating from these households is a burden for the entire nation; a wound in Maiduguri is a wound in Nigeria. The emotional impact on families and communities cannot be captured in mere numbers.
The resilience of the people has been extraordinary, yet there is a limit to endurance. For years, they have navigated the treacherous waters of insurgency with remarkable stoicism, yet no citizen should have to be “resilient” merely to survive a trip to the market.
The continued vulnerability of Maiduguri is a damning indictment of national security. Governor Babagana Umara Zulum issued a firm condemnation, but rhetoric alone is insufficient against such brutality.
While the Governor’s presence on the front lines offers some comfort, the transition from words to effective security measures remains the pressing challenge. Citizens are demanding more than statements; they seek assurance of their fundamental right to life.
We must honour the bravery of first responders and medical personnel who rushed into danger without hesitation. Often working with limited resources and under threat of secondary devices, they are the true heroes of this dark chapter.
The recurrence of such attacks signals a need for fundamental reform in national security strategies. We must ask whether agencies are genuinely preventing atrocities through proactive intelligence, or merely responding after the fact.
Recent military successes in Sambisa Forest and other insurgent strongholds may have provoked these retaliations. While degrading the enemy is necessary, civilian protection must be central to any strategy. Military victories are hollow if citizens remain exposed to vengeful attacks.
Intermittent calm in the Northeast is often deceptive, fostering complacency among the public and authorities alike. Without sustained, multi-dimensional intervention, these periods of peace are merely the eye of a storm that inevitably returns with renewed fury.
Security cannot rest solely on armed forces; it must be grounded in community partnership and trust. Citizens who view security agencies as allies become the most effective line of defence. Preventing a suicide bomber often begins with a whisper from a neighbour rather than a drone overhead.
Socio-economic decay provides fertile ground for radicalisation. Chronic poverty, systemic unemployment, and youth marginalisation remain potent recruitment tools for extremist groups. Until these issues are addressed, the battle against extremism will remain uphill.
During this tragedy, some individuals looted wares at the Monday Market, revealing disturbing moral fractures in society. Even amid collective suffering, selfishness and lawlessness persist. Terror is not the only threat; social decay must also be confronted.
Despite the darkness, the light of hope must not be extinguished. Maiduguri has been a beacon of culture, commerce, and learning for centuries. Its spirit is far older and stronger than the forces seeking to destroy it. The city must rise from the ashes for the sake of both the living and the dead.
The time for half-measures and hollow promises has passed. Nigeria must awaken to the reality that the war is not over until every citizen can walk the streets without fear. We stand at a crossroads: a future of perpetual mourning or a future of decisive action. For Maiduguri, and for the nation’s soul, we must choose action.
