Nigeria Mosque Explosion Kills At Least 7 in Maiduguri, Shattering Fragile Calm

A fragile peace has been shattered. An explosion ripped through a mosque in northeastern Nigeria during evening prayers, killing and wounding several worshippers in a city that had been largely calm for years. The attack in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, is the most significant since 2021 and raises fears of a resurgence in armed group activity.

An Evening Prayer Turned to Carnage

According to reports from Reuters and AFP, the blast occurred at approximately 6 pm (17:00 GMT) on Wednesday, December 24, at a mosque in Maiduguri's Gamboru market. Police spokesman Nahum Daso confirmed the explosion. While there's no official casualty count, witness accounts vary. Mosque leader Malam Abuna Yusuf told AFP at least eight people had died, while a militia leader, Babakura Kolo, put the figure at seven.

A Region's Long War

The cause of the blast wasn't immediately known, but the city has long been the epicenter of an insurgency waged by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). According to the United Nations, the conflict has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced about two million since 2009. Though the violence has waned from its peak a decade ago, it has spilled into neighboring Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.