An explosion hit a mosque in Maiduguri around 6pm during evening prayers, killing and wounding multiple people, Reuters and AFP reported. Police confirmed the blast and said an explosive ordnance team was on site in Gamboru market, but officials have yet to release an official casualty toll. Local leaders and witnesses put deaths at seven to eight and said many victims were taken for medical treatment. The attack comes in a city long affected by Boko Haram and ISWAP violence.
Explosion Tears Through Mosque in Maiduguri During Evening Prayers; Several Dead and Injured Reported
Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, has endured more than a decade of violence linked to armed groups [Jon Gambrell/AP Photo]
An explosion ripped through a mosque in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's Borno State, as worshippers gathered for evening prayers on Wednesday at about 6pm (17:00 GMT), media outlets and witnesses said.
Police spokesman Nahum Daso confirmed the blast to AFP and said an explosive ordnance disposal team had been deployed to the mosque in Maiduguri's Gamboru market. Authorities have not released an official casualty figure.
Mosque leader Malam Abuna Yusuf told AFP that at least eight people had died, while militia leader Babakura Kolo put the toll at seven. Witness Musa Yusha'u said he saw "many victims being taken away for medical treatment." Hospitals in the area were reported to be treating the wounded.
“I saw many victims being taken away for medical treatment,” said witness Musa Yusha'u.
The cause of the blast was not immediately known. Maiduguri has been a focal point of an armed insurgency led by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) for nearly two decades, making the city and surrounding region a frequent target of attacks.
According to the United Nations, the conflict has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced roughly two million since 2009. While violence has declined from its peak about a decade ago, the insurgency has spread into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon and remains capable of mounting deadly strikes.
Maiduguri itself — once the scene of nightly gun battles and bombings — has been relatively calm in recent years; the last major attack recorded there was in 2021. Local officials and security forces say investigations are ongoing, and further details are expected as authorities compile casualty figures and assess the scene.
