12 Facts About Maiduguri

Maiduguri was founded in 1907 as a military outpost by the British and has since grown rapidly with a population exceeding a million by 2007.

Old Maiduguri was selected by the British as their military headquarters in 1908 replacing Mafoni.

Maiduguri was not a City until 1960 when Nigeria became gained independence.

In 1957 Yerwa became the designated name for the urban centre while Maiduguri was officially applied as the name of the surrounding rural area.

Maiduguri is one of the fifteen LGAs that constitute the Borno Emirate, a traditional state located in Borno State, Nigeria.

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Since the mid-1960s, Maiduguri has witnessed outbreaks of large inter-religious riots.

In 2002, Muslim cleric Mohammed Yusuf founded the Islamist group Boko Haram in Maiduguri, establishing a mosque and a madrasa that attracted children from poor Muslim families from both Nigeria and neighboring countries.

In late July 2009, Maiduguri was the worst-hit location of major religious violence in northern Nigeria committed by Boko Haram, which left over 700 people dead.

Giwa barracks and detention centre in Maiduguri has been subject to multiple attacks by Boko Haram.

Maiduguri is estimated to have a population of 1,907,600, as of 2007.

Maiduguri is home to three markets which include a modern "Monday market".

Rural-urban migration to Maiduguri, combined with migration from Chad, Niger and Cameroon, has led to increases in poverty and unemployment.