Reuters- At least five worshippers were killed and 35 others injured after a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive inside a mosque in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria’s Borno State, during evening prayers, police said on Wednesday.
The attack took place at the Al-Adum mosque around 6pm local time as congregants gathered for worship. Eyewitnesses described chaos and panic following the blast, with victims rushed to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and the State Specialist Hospital for treatment.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes amid heightened security concerns in Nigeria’s northeast, a region that has endured more than 15 years of violence by Islamist insurgent groups Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Both groups have frequently targeted civilians, mosques, and markets.“Nobody knows what happened. It was during prayers that the bomb exploded. Allah has destined that this will happen but nobody can give details of how it happened,” said Masta Dalori, a local market leader.
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum strongly condemned the attack, describing it as “utterly condemnable, barbaric and inhumane.”
In a statement, he urged heightened vigilance at places of worship and public spaces, particularly during the festive season. He also extended condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured.
“Attacking a place of worship is a desecration of its sanctity at a time when Muslim faithful are performing acts of worship,” the governor said.
Police confirmed the casualty figures and said bomb disposal experts had cordoned off the area. “Ongoing sweeping operations by police EOD are in progress,” said Kenneth Daso, spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, adding that investigations were underway and urging residents to remain calm and vigilant.
The attack follows another deadly incident last August, when gunmen stormed a mosque and nearby homes in northwest Katsina State, killing at least 50 people, according to local officials and residents.
