Key Takeaways
- Attack occurs amid ongoing violence from Boko Haram and ISWAP
- Five killed, 35 injured in mosque bombing in Maiduguri, Nigeria
- Police confirm suicide attack with vest fragments found at scene
MAIDUGURI — A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device during evening prayers at a mosque in northeastern Nigeria on Wednesday, killing five worshippers and injuring 35 others.
Police confirmed discovering fragments of a suicide vest at the scene in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.
Police spokesperson Nahum Daso stated the attack appeared to be a suicide bombing, though no group has yet claimed responsibility.
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum condemned the violence as “barbaric and inhumane” and urged increased vigilance at places of worship during the ongoing festive season.
The bombing represents the latest in a prolonged insurgency in Nigeria’s northern regions, where Boko Haram and its splinter faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have operated for over a decade. While suicide attacks have decreased in recent years, analysts note the groups retain capability for such operations.
In July 2024, a triple suicide bombing at a wedding ceremony in Borno signaled renewed use of this tactic. The conflict has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions since 2009, creating one of Africa’s most severe humanitarian crises according to United Nations assessments.
Security forces have intensified operations against the insurgent groups, but attacks on civilian targets, including mosques, markets, and schools, continue intermittently across the northeast. Wednesday’s bombing underscores persistent security challenges as Nigeria approaches another election cycle.
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