A suspected bomb explosion ripped through a crowded mosque in northeastern Nigeria on Wednesday, killing at least seven worshippers and injuring several others.
Attack Strikes During Evening Prayers
The blast occurred on Wednesday, 24 December 2025, inside a mosque located in the bustling Gamboru market area of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. Witnesses reported that the device detonated as Muslim faithful gathered for evening prayers.
While official casualty figures are pending, a mosque leader, Malam Abuna Yusuf, stated the death toll was eight. Babakura Kolo, a leader of a local anti-jihadist militia, confirmed at least seven fatalities and suggested a bomb had been planted inside the mosque. Some witnesses described the incident as a suicide bombing.
"I saw many victims being taken away for medical treatment," witness Isa Musa Yusha’u told AFP. Videos from the scene showed a bloodied person writhing on the ground and what appeared to be bodies covered by sheets.
Maiduguri: A City Haunted by Insurgency
Maiduguri is the epicenter of Nigeria's long-running battle against jihadist groups, primarily Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). While the city has enjoyed relative calm in recent years, with the last major attack recorded in 2021, this incident is a stark reminder of the persistent threat.
An international NGO immediately issued a security alert to its staff, advising them to avoid the Gamboru market area. The city remains heavily militarized, with military patrols and evening checkpoints a common sight, even as normalcy slowly returns to daily life.
A Conflict with Deep-Rooted Consequences
This attack underscores the fragile security situation in Nigeria's northeast. The conflict, which began in 2009, has claimed at least 40,000 lives and displaced around two million people, according to United Nations estimates.
Although large-scale violence has diminished from its peak a decade ago, insurgent groups retain the capability to launch deadly attacks. Analysts have warned of a potential resurgence of violence in the region this year, with the insurgency continuing to rage in rural areas and occasionally spilling into urban centers like Maiduguri.
No armed group has immediately claimed responsibility for Wednesday's mosque bombing, leaving the community in mourning and on high alert.
