Several killed in blast at mosque in northeast Nigeria

An explosion ripped through a mosque in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Wednesday, killing at least five worshippers and injuring 35, according to witnesses and security sources.

Maiduguri is the capital of Borno state, home to a years-long insurgency by jihadist groups Boko Haram and an offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province, though the city itself has not seen a major attack in years.

The bomb went off inside a crowded mosque in the city's Gamboru market, as Muslim faithful gathered for evening prayers around 6:00 pm (1700 GMT), according to witnesses.

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum condemned the ​attack, calling it “utterly condemnable, barbaric and inhumane”. In a statement, he urged heightened vigilance in places of worship and public spaces during the festive ‌season.

“Attacking a place of worship is a desecration of its sanctity at a time when Muslim faithful are performing ‍acts of worship,” he said, offering condolences to families of the dead and prayers for the injured.

Police confirmed the casualty figures and said bomb disposal teams had cordoned off the area. “Ongoing sweeping operations by police EOD are in progress,” said Kenneth Daso, spokesperson for Borno State Command.

He added that investigations were underway and ‍advised residents to remain calm and vigilant.

Deadly insurgency 

Nigeria has been battling a jihadist insurgency since 2009 in a conflict that has killed at least 40,000 and displaced around two million from their homes in the northeast, according to the UN.

Though the violence has waned since its peak a decade ago, it has spilt into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

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And concerns are growing about a resurgence of violence in parts of the northeast, where insurgent groups remain capable of mounting deadly attacks despite years of sustained military operations.

Maiduguri itself – once the scene of nightly gun battles and bombings – has been calm in recent years, with the last major attack recorded in 2021.

But reminders of the conflict are never far off in the state capital, where major military operations are headquartered.

Military pick-ups lumber through town daily, their beds filled with soldiers whose helmets shield them from the hot afternoon sun.

Evening checkpoints are still in effect, even as markets that once closed in the early afternoon throng into the night.

Meanwhile, in the countryside, the insurgency continues to rage, with analysts warning of an uptick in jihadist violence this year.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)