The blasts, about 11 in number, were heard at about 6 a.m.
It is not certain from which direction they occurred, but agitated residents said it could be another attack by Boko Haram.
However, foremost investigative journalist and conflict reporter, Ahmad Salkida, confirmed the incident in the early hours of this morning through a tweet thread posted on his verified Twitter handle.
“Just In: Explosions in #Maiduguri moments ago. Over 10 heavy bomb blasts so far in #Maiduguri. Several suicide Bombers and mostly RPG fire targeted towards the metropolis from the outskirts, the response by #Nigeriantroops has made #BokoHaram not to march on into the city centre,” the tweet thread said.
Salkida confirmed that the deadly attack was foiled by troops of the Nigerian Army before the attack could spread into Maiduguri metropolis.
According to PREMIUM TIMES, a police officer, returning home from night duty disclosed that they counted 11 of the explosions this morning but are unsure where they occurred.
Last night there were unconfirmed reports that Boko Haram suicide bombers attacked Zabarmari an outskirts area of Jere, the twin capital township of Maiduguri.
It could be recalled that Boko Haram had carried out similar bomb attack last Saturday, the day Nigerians were to go to the first poll on the first round of the 2019 elections before it was rescheduled to today.
11 lives, including that of the four Boko Haram insurgents, were lost in that attack.
Salkida, in a new tweet confirmed that similar attacks had occurred in Yobe state.
The tweet reads: “Sources are reporting several attacks in Yobe by #ISWAP, as #Maiduguri woke up to #BokoHaram attacks, this morning.”
However, PREMIUM TIMES also received reliable information from sources in Gaidam town of Yobe State that Boko Haram gunmen invaded the border community at about 3 a.m Saturday.
Gaidam is about 180 kilometre away from Damaturu, the Yobe state capital.
The gunmen were said to have sustained hours of gun shootings.
A resident of Potiskum, Fati Umar, confirmed the incident to our reporter on phone.
“They came in at about 3 a.m and continued to shoot for hours. We don’t know what is happening now as we are all lying down inside our houses. Please pray for us,” Mrs Umar said.
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