Five female suicide bombers staged a coordinated attack on Kofa village. The first bomber detonated her explosives near a mosque where worshippers were gathered for night prayers, killing seven people. The second bomber detonated in a house, killing five people. The remaining three bombers detonated within the same vicinity, killing only themselves.
18 Jun 2017 · Kofa village, Maiduguri, Borno
Deaths
17
Injured
11
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
28
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
The National Emergency Management Agency confirmed that three of the injured later died, raising the civilian toll to 16. NEMA northeast region spokesman Abdulkadir Ibrahim stated: "The 16 does not include the bombers"
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
The attack occurred during the holy month of Ramadan, targeting worshippers at evening prayers (Maghrib). Boko Haram had previously escalated attacks during Ramadan following ISIS directives
Trajectory
By sending five bombers to one small village, the group ensured that even if security stopped one or two, the sheer volume of fire would guarantee a high body count.
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier multi-bomber assaults on worshippers and residential targeting by Boko Haram—such as the 8 July 2016 twin mosque bombings and the 9 December 2016 Madagali attacks—reflecting a recurring tactic of deploying multiple female operatives in clustered detonations to maximize casualties and confusion; it also aligns with a broader pattern of escalated attacks during Ramadan targeting evening prayers, illustrating a strategy of exploiting religious gatherings and timing to heighten vulnerability and psychological impact.
Pattern
Female teenage suicide bomber deployment
Related — Bombing/IED
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