A female suicide bomber approached a mosque where worshippers were gathering for early morning prayers. Residents who had spotted her movements became suspicious and pursued her. When she reached the mosque, civilian JTF members at the entrance demanded she stop for a search. Instead, she bolted into the mosque and detonated her explosives. The blast killed the bomber and eight worshippers, wounding 18 others. At the same time, three other female suicide bombers were active in Maiduguri: two were shot and killed in the Mammanti area while attempting to cross the city perimeter ditch, and a third detonated her explosives in the Simari suburb without causing other casualties
17 Jul 2017 · London Ciki area, Maiduguri, Borno
Deaths
8
Injured
18
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
26
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
Borno State Police Commissioner Damian Chukwu confirmed the attack and provided casualty figures. Police spokesman Victor Isuku also briefed reporters
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
The continued use of female suicide bombers allowed the group to evade security checks, as women were often subject to less rigorous screening .
Trajectory
The frequency and coordination of these attacks indicated that Boko Haram retained significant operational capacity despite sustained military operations by the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) since 2015. The targeting of the city perimeter ditch highlighted the group's attempts to infiltrate the city from rural hideouts.
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier attacks by Boko Haram including the 07 June 2017 coordinated multi-site suicide assault on Maiduguri (Jiddari Polo invasion attempt and bombings), the 18 June 2017 female suicide bombings targeting worshippers during Ramadan in Borno mosques and homes, the 25 June 2017 coordinated female suicide attacks in Zannari (Jere), the 16 February 2017 multi-phase Maiduguri assault combining suicide bombers and armed infiltration, the 11 July 2017 suicide bombing of CJTF-linked gathering points in Maiduguri, and the 07 February 2017 interception and shooting of female bombers attempting city infiltration, collectively reflecting a recurring pattern of multi-pronged, simultaneous deployment of female suicide bombers across urban Maiduguri to overwhelm local surveillance, exploit religious and civilian gathering points, and maximize psychological and operational impact.
Pattern
Female teenage suicide bomber deployment
Related — Bombing/IED
Two female suicide bombers carried out coordinated attacks in the Mashamari community of Borno State, according to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Chief Security Officer, Bello Danbatta. The first attacker detonated an explosive device near a mosque as residents were preparing for evening prayers. Moments later, the second bomber detonated inside a nearby residential house. The attacks left three people dead and seven others injured.
A teenage suicide bomber detonated explosives inside the Medina mosque in Mubi during morning (Fajr) prayers, as worshippers gathered. The blast occurred in a crowded setting, killing at least 50 people, the majority men and boys.
Two female suicide bombers targeted a commercial taxi on the feeder road off the Maiduguri-Mafa highway. The taxi (registration number XA 479 DRZ) was loaded with bags of charcoal. The bombers detonated the IEDs strapped to their bodies against the vehicle. Only the bombers died in the explosion, while eight others sustained injuries. A tricycle (Keke-Napep) near the scene was also affected