In the early hours of Thursday, residents near Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, were thrown into confusion by loud explosions and bright flares in the sky, sparking fears of a Boko Haram attack.
The Borno State Police Command quickly clarified the situation, stating it was a fire outbreak in the barracks’ ammunition facility and urged the public to remain calm.
“On 30 April 2025 at 10:30 PM, a fire broke out in the ammunition facility at Giwa Barracks, Maiduguri. The fire incident affected some munitions to detonate, resulting in loud bangs,” said a police spokesperson.
“A combined security and fire-service response team arrived promptly on scene and successfully extinguished the fire. Preliminary investigations indicated that the unusually high ambient temperatures in Maiduguri at this time of year may have contributed to the outbreak.
“The command calls on all members of the public to remain calm and should not panic as the situation is now fully under control,” added ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso.
The Directorate of Borno Fire Service also issued a statement confirming the response from a combined team of first responders from the Nigerian Army Fire Service, Federal Fire Service and Borno State Fire Service, who successfully managed to put out the fire.
“However, there may be secondary explosions which may disturb the neighbourhood around the barracks. Members of the public should not panic on hearing loud bangs.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the intense heat in Maiduguri around this time of the year may have triggered or conflagrated the fire. However, the combined team of firefighters are on top of the situation,” the statement read.
No smoke without fire 🔥 …. Wisdom quote.