Two suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers on a motorcycle attempted to attack a military patrol vehicle in the London Ciki area of Maiduguri, Borno State. The bombers detonated their explosives prematurely, killing themselves instantly. At least one soldier was injured in the blast. The explosion also caused significant collateral damage, burning several homes, shops, and vehicles in the densely populated vicinity.
15 Feb 2013 · London Ciki, Maiduguri, Borno
Deaths
2
Injured
1
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
3
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
JTF troops immediately cordoned off the area and engaged in suppressive fire to prevent a follow-up ground assault, a common tactic after such blasts. This attack underscored the persistent threat of suicide missions within the state capital, even as the military claimed to have pushed the group's main fighting force into the rural fringes.
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
The attack was part of Boko Haram‘s sustained urban guerrilla campaign in Maiduguri. Despite military claims that the group’s main fighting force had been pushed into rural fringes, the incident demonstrated the persistent threat of suicide missions within the state capital. The use of a motorcycle‑borne bomber was a signature Boko Haram tactic. The premature detonation suggested either a lack of operational expertise or a malfunction in the explosive device.
Trajectory
The military’s immediate response – cordoning off the area and engaging in suppressive fire – reflected standard counter‑insurgency tactics, but the collateral damage (burned homes, shops, and vehicles) highlighted the heavy price paid by civilians caught in the crossfire.
Cycle notes
The attack directly echoed earlier Boko Haram motorcycle‑borne suicide bombings in Maiduguri, such as the 8 June 2012 suicide bombing of the Borno State Police Headquarters and the 17 January 2012 foiled attack at a military checkpoint. The premature detonation of the bomb mirrored the 23 April 2012 incident in Maiduguri, where five insurgents were killed by their own explosives during a JTF raid. The pattern of failed bombings – where bombers detonate prematurely – was a recurring feature of Boko Haram’s early 2013 operations, reflecting the group’s reliance on poorly trained operatives or faulty devices. The collateral damage to civilian property also echoed the 30 December 2011 attack on a military checkpoint in Maiduguri, where worshippers were killed and homes were damaged.
Pattern
Failed suicide bombing
Related — Bombing/IED
Two suicide bombers attacked police stations in Sokoto city, the historic seat of Islam in Nigeria. The first bomber rammed a car packed with explosives into the Yan Marina police station (office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police), killing a police officer and injuring several others. The second bomber struck the Unguwar Rogo police station in the metropolis. In total, two people were killed and around 30 wounded. This marked one of the rare Boko Haram strikes inside Sokoto city.
At approximately 9:49 pm, three suicide bombers — a male and two females — attempted to infiltrate the Usmanti Community in Mafa Local Government Area via the Simari area. They were sighted by vigilant members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), who quickly alerted joint security personnel deployed in the area. As the bombers were chased, a stampede ensued. In the resulting chaos and in an attempt to escape arrest, the three bombers hurriedly detonated the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) strapped to their bodies, killing themselves instantly. Two members of the CJTF sustained injuries from the blast and were rushed to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for treatment. An eyewitness reported that soldiers first shot the male bomber, causing his IED to detonate; the powerful blast then triggered the explosives strapped to the two female bombers, killing all three.
Two female suicide bombers infiltrated Mafa town by blending in with a group of local women who had gone to fetch firewood for cooking. The assailants waited until the evening to launch their attack, detonating explosives among the crowd. The twin blasts killed three civilians and wounded eight others. The two bombers also died in the attack.