Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) at a Juma’at Mosque in Gamboru Ward, near the Customs area in central Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
The explosion occurred at about 6:10 p.m. on Wednesday, less than 12 hours to Christmas, while Muslim worshippers were observing the Maghrib prayer.
Details surrounding the incident remain unclear, but residents told the media that several worshippers were killed or sustained injuries as a result of the blast.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Borno State, ASP Nahum Daso, said he could not immediately confirm the explosion, noting that he was on his way to the scene to assess the situation.
The suspected attack has heightened fear among residents, particularly within the Christian community preparing for the Christmas celebrations.
Security operatives have since cordoned off the affected area to prevent further casualties and to allow preliminary investigations.
Nigeria has been grappling with a jihadist insurgency since 2009, a conflict that has claimed at least 40,000 lives and displaced about two million people in the country’s northeast, according to the United Nations.
Although the violence has significantly declined from its peak a decade ago, it has spilled into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Concerns are also mounting over a possible resurgence of attacks in parts of the northeast, where insurgent groups continue to demonstrate the capacity to launch deadly operations despite years of sustained military offensives.
Maiduguri, once notorious for frequent bombings and nightly gun battles, has remained relatively calm in recent years, with the last major attack recorded in 2021. However, signs of the long-running conflict remain visible, as the city hosts major military formations.
Military patrol vehicles are a daily sight on the streets, while evening checkpoints remain in place, even as markets that once shut early now operate late into the night.
In rural areas of Borno State, however, the insurgency continues, with analysts warning of an uptick in jihadist violence in the region this year.
