A series of coordinated suicide bomb blasts struck Maiduguri over several hours, targeting crowded civilian locations. The first attack occurred around 11:20 a.m. when a female suicide bomber detonated explosives after disembarking from a motorized rickshaw at the Baga Road fish market. Approximately one hour later, twin explosions rocked the Monday Market, where two female bombers struck—the first detonated at the security checkpoint, and the second exploded moments later as people gathered to help. Shortly after 1:00 p.m., a third blast hit a used car lot attached to the Borno Express bus terminal. A fourth blast was reported at the Post Office shopping area. A fifth explosion occurred at a military checkpoint outside the city, where a car bomber was intercepted. Vigilantes at the fish market attempted to stop one bomber but lost their lives in the explosion
7 Mar 2015 · Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Borno
Deaths
58
Injured
139
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
197
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
Security forces ordered the closure of all businesses across the city given the coordinated nature of the attacks and fear of further bombings
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
Targeting of crowded civilian spaces, coordinated use of multiple suicide bombers to maximize casualties.
Trajectory
The attacks were part of Boko Haram's strategic shift in 2015 towards large-scale, coordinated suicide bombings in major urban centres. Following military defeats, the group increasingly turned to attacking "soft targets" (markets, bus stations, places of worship) to terrorise civilians and project strength. The use of multiple female suicide bombers in a single day continued a trend that had emerged in late 2014 and would persist throughout 2015, with the group reportedly using abducted women and girls as young as seven.
Cycle notes
The attacks directly echoed the group's tactic of striking multiple civilian targets in a single day, a method used in previous assaults such as the "Kano Blitz" (January 2012). The targeting of the Monday Market, a recurring target in Maiduguri, followed a pattern of "double-tap" bombings, where a second explosion was timed to hit first responders and bystanders. The 7 March bombings also foreshadowed further large-scale attacks on civilian populations, including the August 2015 market bombing in Yola and the January 2016 attack on a Dalori village displacement camp.
Pattern
Coordinated Suicide Bombings
Related — Bombing/IED
A teenage female suicide bomber crept to a sandbag post where CJTF members were on guard. Before they could react, she detonated her explosives, killing three CJTF members
A bombing and shooting attack by suspected Boko Haram militants on a beer parlour in the town of Mubi, Adamawa State. The attackers used improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and small arms to target civilians at the social venue.
A suicide bomber attempted to assassinate Muhammad Abali Ibn Idrissa, the Emir of Fika, outside the Central Mosque in Potiskum, Yobe State. The attack occurred just after Friday prayers. Witnesses said the bomber, disguised in a caftan, tried to approach and embrace the Emir but was pushed back by locals. The bomb detonated outside the mosque, killing the bomber and the Emir’s police orderly. Several others, including a bodyguard and mosque aide, were injured. The Emir escaped unharmed.