Borno Blast: Several People Killed as Bomb Blast Rocks Maiduguri, Video Trends

• At least five people have been killed in a bomb explosion in a packed mosque in Nigeria's north-eastern Borno state, a police spokesman has said
• Nahum Daso, the public relations officer for the Borno police command, disclosed that another 35 people were injured in the blast in the Gamboru market of Maiduguri, during evening prayers
• Unverified footage on social media appears to show the aftermath of the explosion, with people standing in a market area with dust particles in the air

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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering security matters and counter-insurgency in Nigeria and Africa.

Maiduguri, Borno State - Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) at a Juma’at Mosque in Gamboru Ward, around the Customs area in the heart of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

According to Channels TV, the incident occurred on Wednesday evening, December 24, while Muslim worshippers were preparing to observe the Maghrib (the sunset) prayer.

Deadly explosion in Borno

Vanguard also noted the sad update.

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Borno state police spokesperson Nahum Daso was cited by AP as saying:

"Preliminary investigations further suggest that the incident may have been a self-murder bombing."

Daso explained that the police recovered remnants believed to be from a self-murder vest and also obtained eyewitness accounts, adding that investigations are still ongoing to determine the precise cause and circumstances of the attack.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) corroborated him. Surajo Garba, the agency’s boss in charge of Borno and Yobe states, stated that a young boy walked into the mosque with the explosives.

Worshippers who were praying outside the mosque were among those injured, as flying debris and broken glass spread across the vicinity.

Security agents and emergency workers swiftly moved to the scene, evacuated the injured and secured the area.

The trending video showing the aftermath of the attack can be viewed below:

Borno battles renewed jihadist insurgency

Legit.ng reports that Maiduguri is the capital of the northeastern Borno state, where jihadist groups like Boko Haram and its offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been active for nearly two decades.

Islamist violence in Nigeria has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people and displaced millions across the country's northeast.

The city of Maiduguri had seen no major attack since 2021. But signs of the conflict remain in the city, with frequent checkpoints and military patrols.

Read more Borno State news:

• Tinubu storms Borno, as he kicks off 3-state tour with Obasanjo-era jet
• Education minister speaks on Borno’s schools, says some universities lack similar facilities

Man speaks on Maiduguri blast

Legit.ng earlier reported that a young man whose brother was among those who lost their lives in the bomb blast that rocked a mosque in Maiduguri spoke out.

He shared a statement on his page not long after the tragic incident made news headlines, as the incident and several other details about it were published in an article by Legit.ng.