Two female suicide bombers were intercepted by soldiers and civilian militia at about 9:00 p.m. in Mandarari village, near the town of Konduga in Borno State. The attackers, who were trying to infiltrate the area, had been scouting the village. When they realised they had been uncovered, they detonated their explosives, killing themselves. There were no other casualties.
31 Jan 2018 · Mandarari, Konduga, Borno
Deaths
2
Injured
0
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
2
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
Immediate cordon-and-search operations and heightened security around Konduga
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
Spreading maximum fear and disrupting daily life in Borno communities and IDP-adjacent areas.
Trajectory
Boko Haram escalate the use of multiple simultaneous suicide attacks (often involving women and girls) as a low-cost tactic after territorial losses.
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier Boko Haram events including the 11 November 2016 interception of female bombers who detonated upon engagement, the 4 July 2016 Monguno attempted bombing where attackers were shot and self-detonated, the 7 February 2017 interception near NNPC Mega Station, the 17 July 2017 multiple interceptions of female bombers around Maiduguri’s perimeter, and the 8 August 2017 foiled Simari infiltration leading to detonation, reflecting a recurring pattern in which operatives—often female—prematurely detonate when intercepted, turning failed infiltration attempts into immediate attacks, and highlighting both improved security detection and Boko Haram’s adaptive reliance on suicide tactics under pressure.
Pattern
Coordinated Suicide Bombings
Related — Bombing/IED
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.
At approximately 9:00 p.m., an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detonated under a tree outside the Park & Shop mall, adjacent to Banex Plaza, in Wuse II District, Abuja. The blast, which witnesses reported was likely thrown from a moving vehicle, targeted AJ's Place at Sharif Plaza . A private security guard sustained injuries from shattered glass and was rushed to hospital for treatment . Anti-bomb squad operatives subsequently discovered and successfully detonated a second unexploded IED at the scene. NEMA spokesman Yushau Shuaib confirmed "no human casualty" , while FCT Police Commissioner Adenrele Shinaba assured residents that security forces were "equal to the task."
A vehicle exploded near a military checkpoint on the road to Gubio. According to police, a pickup truck carrying nine people emerged from a bush path to join the road to Gubio town and exploded, killing everyone on board. The military reported that eight suicide bombers in a Bedford truck loaded with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) attempted to breach the checkpoint. The explosives detonated when the troops insisted on searching the vehicle, resulting in the deaths of all eight occupants.