Several worshippers, it was learned, were killed on Friday after a suicide bomber set off an explosive device inside Gambarou Jumu’at mosque in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, during evening prayers.
Survivors of the incident said the attacker gained access to the mosque unnoticed and carried out the attack while congregants were observing the Maghrib prayer.
“The bomber detonated when the first raka’at of the Maghrib prayer was observed. Many worshippers died, others sustained various injuries,” a worshipper said.
The explosion caused panic and confusion within the mosque, leaving multiple people wounded as emergency responders and residents rushed to assist victims.
As of the time of reporting, no group had formally claimed responsibility for the attack. However, suspicion has fallen on the Boko Haram insurgent group, which has been responsible for numerous suicide bombings and similar assaults across the region in recent months.
Security agencies have yet to issue an official statement on the incident or confirm casualty figures, while investigations into the attack are ongoing.
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