Four suicide bombers carried out coordinated attacks on two neighboring villages in Borno State, according to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). The incident occurred in two phases. In the first phase, at approximately 11:00 p.m. in Mainari Shuwa, a female suicide bomber entered a residential home and detonated an improvised explosive device (IED), killing three persons and injuring nine others. Shortly after, a second bomber detonated explosives near another residence, killing one individual who was sleeping outdoors. In the second phase, two additional suicide bombers struck the adjacent village of Mainari Kanuri moments later. Both attackers detonated their devices but caused no further casualties beyond themselves.
4 May 2018 · Mainari Shuwa & Mainari Kanuri, Konduga, Borno
Deaths
8
Injured
9
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
17
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
Bello Danbatta, Chief Security Officer of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), confirmed that eight dead bodies (including the suicide bombers) and nine injured were evacuated to the hospital
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
Boko Haram’s continued use of coordinated suicide attacks (including female/teenage bombers) to target soft civilian homes and villages viewed as government-aligned.
Trajectory
Boko Haram escalated the use of multiple female/teenage suicide bombers in coordinated village attacks as a low-cost asymmetric tactic to maintain pressure in the Konduga corridor
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier Boko Haram attacks including 31 January 2018 – Dalori IDP camp twin suicide bombing involving male and female attackers, 17 January 2018 – Muna Garage market suicide bombing targeting civilians, 21 November 2017 – Mubi mosque coordinated suicide attacks, 15 August 2017 – Mandarari dual suicide bombings near civilian settlements, and 19 February 2015 – Baga/Nigeria-Cameroon border suicide raids involving multiple attackers, collectively reflecting a recurring pattern in which Boko Haram deploys coordinated multi-phase suicide operations—often involving female or teenage bombers—against residential areas and displaced communities to maximize civilian casualties, exploit surveillance gaps at night, and sustain psychological pressure in the Konduga–Maiduguri corridor following territorial losses.
Pattern
Feemale teenage suicide bomber deployment
Related — Bombing/IED
A tricycle taxi, commonly known as a "Keke NAPEP," accidentally ran over an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that had been buried by the side of the road. Military investigations revealed that the device had likely been buried long ago and remained undetected until it was triggered. The explosion occurred instantly and resulted in the deaths of four individuals: a woman, her baby, and two adult men. Three other people, including a soldier, sustained injuries and were promptly evacuated to Biu General Hospital. The army later confirmed that the injured soldier had died at the hospital. The area surrounding the incident was cordoned off, and an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team was deployed to conduct a thorough search of the vicinity.
A military vehicle hit a mine planted by Boko Haram in Kauyen Kuros village, six kilometres from Baga, critically injuring six soldiers and a civilian vigilante. The convoy, which was escorting some 1,200 displaced residents from Maiduguri on a brief return visit to their hometown of Baga, was forced to spend the night in Kauyen Kuros as a result of the explosion. The visit had been planned for Sunday but was temporarily stalled by the mine blast. Following the explosion, troops engaged Boko Haram gunmen in a prolonged gun battle, forcing them to flee.
Boko Haram gunmen attacked the Bunkure police station in Kano State. The attackers opened fire on officers, killing two policemen and wounding others. Witnesses reported that the gunmen arrived on motorcycles, fired sporadically, and fled after setting parts of the station ablaze.