Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, has alleged that the recent suicide bombings in Maiduguri, Borno State, were carried out using commercial tricycles, popularly known as Keke NAPEP.
The attacks, which occurred on Monday during the breaking of the Ramadan fast, claimed at least 23 lives and left over 100 others injured.
The explosions targeted densely populated areas, including the Post Office area, Monday Market, and the entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
The police attributed the incidents to suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers deploying improvised explosive devices.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Ndume said the insurgents’ methods have remained largely the same over time, relying on swift, coordinated strikes.
“They rely on a hit-and-run strategy. What they do is hit and run. They gather, pass information around, and most dangerously, they get information from some citizens too. They have informants within society,” he said.
Ndume disclosed that attackers use everyday means of transportation, particularly tricycles, to move explosives to targeted locations.
“You can imagine even the bomb that exploded—it was delivered by Keke NAPEP. They package it and give people in Keke NAPEP to deliver in specific spots,” he said.
He warned that the threat may not be over, suggesting that additional explosives or attackers could still be within the city, and identified inadequate intelligence gathering as a key factor enabling such attacks.
“The problem is lack of adequate intelligence,” he stressed.
The lawmaker also condemned what he described as the growing boldness of terrorist groups, noting that they now record and share footage of their operations on social media platforms, including TikTok.
“You can imagine the terrorists in Nigeria have the audacity to record their atrocities on TikTok and then disperse and send it out to people,” Ndume said.
He added that if security agencies can track the activities of ordinary citizens through mobile devices, they should also be able to monitor and intercept the communications of terrorists.
