A resident of Maiduguri has reportedly lost four sons following the multiple explosions that occurred in the city on Monday, according to reports.

The explosions happened near the entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), around the Monday Market roundabout, and close to the Post Office area. The attacks reportedly left about 27 people dead and several others injured.

A trader identified as Usman Lawan recounted the incident on Wednesday, explaining that his neighbour, Ba Musa, who lives in the Gwange Sabon Layi area, lost four of his children in the blasts.

He said the boys had gone out to buy eyeglasses in preparation for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr celebrations when they were caught in the explosion.

Speaking during a visit to the hospital by Kashim Shettima, Lawan described how the event unfolded. According to him, he had just finished observing Iftar and was pushing his fruit cart when the explosion occurred, after which he suddenly found himself at the hospital and realized he had lost everything in the attack.

He added that the children had recently been given new clothes and shoes by their father and had come to buy eyeglasses for the festive celebration when the blast claimed their lives. They were buried the following day.

One of the security guards at the hospital, who sustained injuries to his arms and legs, also narrated what happened in an interview with the BBC. He said he was seated outside the hospital when three individuals arrived on a motorcycle. After he noticed suspicious behavior, he asked them to leave.

According to him, the individuals returned later, and when he again refused them entry, they threw a food container at him. The object struck his hand and fell to the ground, appearing as if it would explode. He said he immediately lay down and then heard a loud blast. As he attempted to run into the hospital, another container exploded and injured his leg.

The guard said the explosion outside the hospital was devastating and that several other people also died in the attack.

A woman who survived the blast but lost her daughter shared her experience as well. She explained that they had just arrived at the hospital when the explosion occurred. She said she fell during the blast and later discovered that her daughter had died. According to her, she turned to prayer, accepting the loss as God’s will, and noted that the girl’s father had passed away when she was only five months old.

Traders who were affected by the explosions also spoke from their hospital beds in Maiduguri. Many of the injured victims are currently receiving treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, the Borno State Specialist Hospital, and the Umaru Shehu Hospital in Maiduguri.