A powerful explosion shook Giwa Barracks, a well-known military detention facility in Maiduguri, Borno State, late on Tuesday night. The barracks, believed to house numerous former Boko Haram insurgents, was engulfed in flames, triggering panic among nearby residents.
Eyewitness videos circulating on social media captured large plumes of smoke and fire lighting up the night sky, with locals seen fleeing for safety. The incident raised immediate fears of a possible terrorist attack in a region long plagued by insurgency violence.
However, military authorities have dismissed such concerns, attributing the explosion to extreme heat conditions affecting the facility’s ammunition storage unit.
In an official statement released Thursday, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), confirmed the blast occurred around 11:30 p.m. on April 30, 2025.
> “The explosion was a result of the intense heat currently being experienced in Borno and other parts of Nigeria, which impacted one of our ammunition depots within Giwa Barracks,” Major General Abubakar stated.
Emergency response teams, including military firefighters, the Federal Fire Service, and the Borno State Fire Service Department, were swiftly mobilized to contain the blaze and secure the area. Civilians living close to the barracks were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
To assess the damage and prevent further incidents, the Nigerian Air Force’s Operation Hadin Kai Air Component, alongside the Army’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Command, conducted aerial surveillance over the affected site and Maiduguri metropolis.
Troops were also strategically deployed to maintain public order and prevent potential exploitation of the situation by criminal elements.
The explosion comes at a tense time for the region, amid a renewed wave of attacks by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in Borno and neighboring states.
Authorities have urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with security forces as investigations continue.
