Four female teenage suicide bombers infiltrated Muna Zawuya village. According to police, the bombers detonated explosives strapped to their bodies, killing themselves and one other person (a woman), while injuring 13 others
30 Mar 2018 · Muna Zawuya, Mafa, Borno
Deaths
1
Injured
13
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
18
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Edet Okon, confirmed the attack in an official statement, detailing the time, location, casualties, and the deployment of Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams to sanitize the scene. He noted normalcy had been restored and adequate security arrangements were in place for the Easter celebrations
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
Spreading fear and disrupting daily life in rural settlements near Maiduguri.
Trajectory
Late March 2018 saw Boko Haram persist with asymmetric suicide attacks on soft targets as a low-cost strategy to maintain pressure after significant territorial losses in previous years.
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier Boko Haram attacks including the 31 January 2018 – Dalori IDP camp suicide bombing involving multiple female bombers, 02 March 2018 – Fulatari mosque suicide attack targeting worshippers, 17 January 2018 – Muna Garage market suicide bombing in Maiduguri, 26 September 2017 – Dikwa mosque bombing targeting civilians during prayer, and 10 July 2017 – coordinated female suicide attacks in Maiduguri outskirts, collectively reflected a recurring pattern in which Boko Haram deployed multiple female, often teenage, suicide bombers in coordinated strikes against densely populated civilian settlements near Maiduguri, aiming to maximize casualties, overwhelm security response, and sustain prolonged psychological pressure on already displaced and vulnerable communities.
Pattern
Female teenage suicide bomber deployment
Related — Bombing/IED
A male suicide bomber disguised as a worshipper arrived at the church on a motorized rickshaw. He entered the uncompleted church and detonated his explosives, killing five worshippers instantly. A sixth person, a female church member who was injured, later died in the hospital. The victims included a woman and her two children, as well as the pastor
Boko Haram suicide bomber disguised as a student detonated explosives at Government Science Technical College (GSTC), Potiskum
Two women wearing hijabs attempted to board a commercial vehicle (bus) at a roadside bus stop in Ngamdu village, telling the driver they wanted to travel to Damaturu. The driver became suspicious of the women, noting their disheveled appearance, and refused to take them, claiming he was not going as far as Damaturu. After the bus departed, one of the women—who had the bomb strapped around her waist—detonated her explosives. The blast killed her instantly, ignited explosives carried by the second woman, and killed two other bystanders who were waiting at the bus stop. Witnesses reported that the two women appeared to be in their late 20s