Nigeria Police have said a suspected suicide bomber may have carried out the deadly explosion that hit a mosque in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Wednesday.
Gatekeepers News reports that authorities confirmed on Thursday that the blast occurred inside the Al-Adum Juma’at Mosque at the Gamboru market area while Muslim worshippers were observing evening prayers. The incident happened at about 6:00 pm.
A police spokesperson, Nahum Daso, said initial findings suggest the attack was a suicide bombing.
He explained that fragments believed to be from a suicide vest were recovered at the scene, alongside eyewitness accounts pointing in that direction.
Daso told journalists, “An unknown individual, whom we suspect to be a member of a terrorist group, entered the mosque, and while prayer was ongoing, we recorded an explosion.”
Following the incident, police and other security agencies have increased patrols and surveillance around markets, mosques, churches, and other public places across Maiduguri to prevent further attacks.
The blast comes amid renewed security concerns in Borno State, which has been at the centre of Nigeria’s long-running insurgency led by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Authorities have assured residents that investigations are ongoing and have urged the public to remain calm while cooperating with security agencies.
