MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — At least 15 separate explosions punctuated by gunfire echoed Monday across a northeast Nigeria city long under siege by the radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram, witnesses said.

Attacks in Maiduguri, the sect's spiritual home, have grown increasingly commonplace, but the apparent sustained strikes, which began Monday afternoon and continued into the evening, saw soldiers lock down nearly every street in the city center. It remained unclear what was happening Monday night, as police and military officials did not answer repeated calls for comment as sirens wailed across the city. Witnesses at the scene of one of the blasts said a primary school was ablaze.

Workers and journalists found themselves trapped inside the Maiduguri office compound of the Borno state governor, as police officers manning the facility locked every gate and stood nervously on guard. Asked what was happening, one officer simply said: "The town is bad."

Earlier Monday, witnesses said a gunman suspected to belong to Boko Haram shot dead a police traffic warden in the city within view of a military checkpoint. The gunman simply walked away after the attack unstopped, witnesses said.

Boko Haram has been launching guerrilla attacks against Nigeria's weak central government for months as part of its efforts to free its imprisoned members and enact strict Islamic law across the multi-ethnic nation largely halved between Christians and Muslims. In recent days, it has begun a renewed offensive in Maiduguri.

On Oct. 5, a bombing by suspected Boko Haram members that killed an army lieutenant sparked a violent retaliation by soldiers. Troops opened fire with assault rifles and heavy machine guns mounted on armored personnel carriers on a busy street near the local headquarters of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, according to witnesses.

Afterward, an Associated Press journalist counted the bodies of more than 30 dead civilians and saw more than 50 shops and homes burned.

The military later denied it killed civilians, but offered contradictory explanations about what happened. Activists say they worry that other recent military strikes against Boko Haram may have killed civilians as well.

Boko Haram, which speaks to journalists in telephone conference calls at times of its choosing, could not be immediately reached for comment Monday night. The sect has killed more than 690 people this year alone, according to an AP count.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/15-explosions-gunfire-heard-in-northeast-nigeria-city-under-siege-by-islamist-sect/2012/10/15/b4c724a4-1706-11e2-a346-f24efc680b8d_story.html

NEEEEEXCXXXXXXTTTTTTTT

Do people still live in maidugiri?they should scrap that state abeg...mtschew

This is obstreperous!

Foxybone: NEEEEEXCXXXXXXTTTTTTTT

Let's see if you can find the "C" in the above

Nawa oh... When would dz idiatz stop na... *sick* +tired

May God Almighty save this country.

YAAAAY! NO .3 poster!

Maiduguri motor or state banner should be changed to

CENTER OF PISS peace

whenever religion of piss worshiper dominate a certain area.. U will surely find piss in that area to d extent that u would wana invest ur life time savings there

ichidodo: YAAAAY! NO .3 poster!

Number 1 no talk, na you dey talk... Mtchwwwww

Chei!

Shame on Nigeria. See how news of bombings and killings no longer carry weight, making it a norm.

Nigeria I hail thee.

Sweet country Nigeria! Very good country. Why not divide this country now so that suicidal people will be given a suicidal country where they will be free to murder themselves to the last man!

pDude: Chei!

Shame on Nigeria. See how news of bombings and killings no longer carry weight, making it a norm.

Nigeria I hail thee.

That is what it is Sir....

I ONLY PITY GOOD MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS CAUGHT IN-BETWEEN THE FIRE, IF NOT I COULD HAVE ASKED THE ARMY TO REPLAY UDI. SO THEY CAN WIPE OUT THE ID.IOTS AND THEIR SYMPATHIZERS. THEY SEEM TO FORGET JTF ARE ALSO HUMAN BEINGS AND NOT ROBOTS.

Please.... How can i get some of these bombs down to aluu?

JTF says it kills 24 terrorists after Maiduguri multiple blasts

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/10/jtf-says-it-kills-24-terrorists-after-maiduguri-multiple-blasts/

antontech: May God Almighty save this country.

He must be so tired of our troubles that he abandoned us to die in instalments

rafhell: JTF says it kills 24 terrorists after Maiduguri multiple blasts

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/10/jtf-says-it-kills-24-terrorists-after-maiduguri-multiple-blasts/

Super Story i will say...

Imanuelle: Please.... How can i get some of these bombs down to aluu?

Keep the bombs where they are needed, the north.

THESE BOKOHARAMITE MUST BE DRUNK ON PISS.
PISS BE UPON THEIR DEAD SOUL + THE SOUL OF THEIR DEAD LEADER AND SOURCE OF INSPIRATION.

they should allow boko to islamize borno so that we can rest for once. abeg!

venorite: Do people still live in maidugiri?they should scrap that state abeg...mtschew

FYI Maiduguri is not a state, its the capital of Borno state. And it is not the whole of Borno that is affected it is only in Maiduguri and some few times in Biu. So it is you and your whole geneological generation that will be wiped away from the face of the earth. Common if you have nothing to say just shut up and allow that hole in your face to heal. Nonsense.

if every where is on lock down only the security were on the streets and 15 bombs went off then I think our security official have a question to answer. is either they are ineffective or they are the ones planting the bombs, afterall they receive heavy allowance on daily basis for being in maiduguri to an extent soldiers now lobby to go there.

It is so sickening when journalist with intention, try to deviate from the objective of their reportage. Multiple bomb blast by BH no condemnation. JTF attacks and they are blamed them for human rights violation. SMH

HAH: if every where is on lock down only the security were on the streets and 15 bombs went off then I think our security official have a question to answer. is either they are ineffective or they are the ones planting the bombs, afterall they receive heavy allowance on daily basis for being in maiduguri to an extent soldiers now lobby to go there.

shut your dirty stinking mouth!!!!!!!!!! we are fond of condemning those brave soldiers instead of commending them. the life of those guys are at stake. you forget that they are humans with families and friends.

we forgot that they are fighting a bunch of islamic lunatics who are motivated by a desire to die and inherit 77 virgins as laid down by their founder

rafhell:

shut your dirty stinking mouth!!!!!!!!!! we are fond of condemning those brave soldiers instead of commending them. the life of those guys are at stake. you forget that they are humans with families and friends.

we forgot that they are fighting a bunch of islamic lunatics who are motivated by a desire to die and inherit 77 virgins as laid down by their founder

Mohammed must have loved fresh toto a lot

Evidence of peaceful religion.

Gen.Obasanjo!
I miss u.this sure a child play for u handle.I wish GEJ could just do it d obj way.BH wud learnt d Odi nd Zakibiam way.give a miliatry order'sweep the town clean'no crow of a chicken shd be heard.these Bastards called BH wud ve taken dressing by now

imagine the north without islam.
i can only but imagine how peaceful it would have been.
may God save us all from this evil.

rafhell:

shut your dirty stinking mouth!!!!!!!!!! we are fond of condemning those brave soldiers instead of commending them. the life of those guys are at stake. you forget that they are humans with families and friends.

we forgot that they are fighting a bunch of islamic lunatics who are motivated by a desire to diesie and inherit 77 virgins as laid down by their founder

you should shut stinking ass like mouth there, did i abuse anybody for you to say such razz that. people like you are constant failure in life instead of seeing things from an intelectual point of what I said you are be clouded by sentiment. I don't need to tell you who iam but i have classified information that nonentities like you are not previledge to. go to Dhq and ask how much is the allowance of soldier daily. this guys make almost triple their salary in a month. the only agency I respect in this struggle against insurgency are the sss.