Two female suicide bombers, aged between 17 and 20, infiltrated the Dikwa IDP camp disguised as refugees and detonated their explosives among displaced persons who had gathered to collect food rations. A third bomber, identified as "Hauwa" (not her real name), refused to participate in the attack after entering the camp and discovering her relatives were there. She escaped and survived. Witness Falmata Mohammed described seeing a woman in a red veil complaining of stomach pain; when people rushed to help her, the bomb detonated
6 Feb 2016 · Dikwa IDP Camp, Dikwa, Borno
Deaths
58
Injured
80
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
138
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo addressed the nation, stating: "The full weight of the Federal Government's force will be deployed to hunt down the perpetrators of this evil act and confront terrorists who threaten lives, liberty and property of all Nigerians"
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
Targeting of IDPs from six LGAs including economically strategic areas (Gamboru Ngala on Cameroon border, Bama, Marte) and disruption of humanitarian aid distribution
Trajectory
The incident demonstrated Boko Haram's strategic shift to targeting safe havens after territorial losses. The use of multiple female bombers in coordinated infiltration (2 detonated, 1 refused, 2 escaped) showed tactical sophistication. The failed bomber's surrender and warning of "further attacks" provided intelligence but also revealed Boko Haram's continued operational planning
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier female-led attacks on crowded civilian targets such as the 22 February 2015 Potiskum market bombing and the 15 February 2015 Damaturu bus station attack, reflecting a recurring tactic by Boko Haram of using women to infiltrate vulnerable, high-density spaces; it also echoed prior IDP-focused attacks like the 11 September 2015 Malkohi camp bombing in Yola and earlier Dikwa-linked infiltration tactics (November 2015), while foreshadowing repeat strikes on the same location (July 2017), forming a clear geographic and tactical cycle of IDP targeting, reinforced by February attack clustering (e.g., 30 January 2016 Dalori massacre) and a broader post-military retaliation pattern, illustrating an evolution toward systematically attacking displaced populations and humanitarian hubs, with the rare case of a third coerced bomber (“Hauwa”) refusing to detonate highlighting the forced recruitment and moral fractures within the insurgency.
Pattern
Female teenage suicide bomber deployment
Related — Bombing/IED
A male suicide bomber disguised as a madman approached the main gate of the busy government secretariat. A combined team of policemen maintaining security duties intercepted him on suspicion and prevented him from entering the complex. As they questioned him, he detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) strapped to his body. The blast killed the bomber instantly, killed one policeman on the spot, and critically injured another policeman who later died. Several civilians were also killed and wounded.
An explosion struck a church in Gadaka, Yobe State, during Christmas services on the morning of 25 December 2011. The blast, which occurred on Christmas Day (or, according to some reports, during a Christmas Eve vigil), injured multiple worshippers.
A male suicide bomber disguised as a grain merchant infiltrated Amarwa village. He first approached a provisions shop and offered sorghum for sale; when the shopkeeper declined, he walked to a shade where villagers had gathered for relaxation and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) concealed in a black plastic bag. The blast killed the bomber and initially three other persons, injuring 13 others. Two of the injured later died in the hospital, bringing the final death toll to six (including the bomber).