Five people have lost their lives in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri following an explosion that occurred during prayers at a mosque on Wednesday night, based on a police statement.
There are reports that 35 people were injured in the attack that the police say is possibly a suicide bombing.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the incident could be a suicide attack based on the discovery of parts of the possible suicide vest and the accounts obtained,” Nahum Daso, the public relations officer of Borno State police command, said in the statement.
Daso added that police were engaged in a search of the area for any secondary devices.
The Christmas Eve bombing is the latest in a wave of bombings taking place in the strife-torn northern regions of Nigeria as the Nigerian state is fighting various armed groups including Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the ISWAP. The bombing has resulted in the death of thousands of civilians with millions displaced since the conflict began in 2009.
Though no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, it should be noted that the use of suicide bombers has long been associated with Boko Haram, an Islamic militant group that has previously carried out similar attacks in the region. According to analysts, the suicide attack strategy adopted by the group has greatly reduced over the last few years, although the group has the capacity to carry out such attacks. A three-pronged suicide attack occurred at a wedding ceremony in Borno in July 2024.
