[1] An offensive by the Nigerian military in August, driving Boko Haram out of their bases in the region, resulted in a substantial drop in attacks.

[5] Nigerian military spokesman Sani Usman stated that the event showed the "high level of desperation" of Boko Haram.

[6] Around 7:30 p.m. local time (18:30 UTC) on September 20,[7] a series of four explosions were set off across Maiduguri, the capital and largest city in Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, within the span of 20 minutes, killing at least 54 people.

[5][8][9] These were the largest attacks in the city since March 7, 2015, when a series of suicide bombings linked to Boko Haram killed 58 people.

[8] A civilian defense group reported that at least 80 people were killed in the city and stated that the police cited a lower total due to families immediately burying relatives.