The horrific attacks that took place in Gwoza, Borno State, which took the lives of 18 people and left several others injured, have received condemnation from both the Nigerian government and the international community.

On Saturday, June 29, 2024, three female suicide bombers attacked a wedding, a General Hospital, and a funeral, in what is now considered one of the deadliest suicide attacks in the state in recent years.

President Bola Tinubu, in a statement on Sunday, while vowing to ensure that the masterminds face justice, claimed that the attack was carried out of desperation, describing it as “a clear manifestation of the pressure mounted against terrorists and the success achieved in degrading their capacity to launch offensives.”

He added, “The purveyors of wanton violence shall have a certain encounter with justice, and these cowardly attacks are only but an isolated episode as my government will not allow the nation to slither into an era of fear, tears, sorrow, and blood.”

Condemning the attack, the United States Mission in Nigeria said the attackers showed a heartless disregard for human life.

“The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the horrific attacks that took place in Gwoza, Borno State. These reprehensible acts of violence show a cruel and heartless disregard for human life,” the statement, released on Sunday, reads in part.

Adding that the U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria is committed to their partnership with the country, it said that the “abhorrent attacks were a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by terrorism in the region.”

Similarly, Mohamed Fall, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, said he was horrified by the attacks.

“I am horrified by this attack on civilian populations and condemn such acts in the strongest terms. I stand in solidarity with the Government of Nigeria and the families and communities of all those affected,” Fall said.

The attacks have also drawn attention to the rising insecurity, particularly in the northern part of the country.

Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general election, while condoling with affected families in the Saturday attacks, claimed that ugly incidents of terrorism are resurfacing in the region. He blamed the government for its lack of commitment to defeating terrorism in the zone.

“It is unfortunate that much of the pushback that had been achieved against the Boko Haram terror sect is being canceled, owing mainly to the government’s lackluster posture to hold firmly on the frontline,” he said.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Boko Haram, which has terrorised the state and other northern states since 2009, has used women as suicide bombers in the past.