Update: Five d3ad, 35 injured in suicide IED attack on Maiduguri mosque

No fewer than five worshippers were k!lled, while 35 others sustained injuries following an Improvised explosive device (IED) attack by a suicide bomber at a mosque in Gamboru area of Maiduguri, Borno State. LIB reported that the incident occurred at about 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, December 24, 2025 during Magrib prayers when the attacker detonated the IED inside the mosque which was filled with worshippers. The spokesperson of the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, who confirmed the development in a statement on Thursday, said the injured victims were immediately evacuated to hospitals for medical treatment. He added that men of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit, alongside other security agencies, were deployed to the scene to secure the area, cordon off the vicinity and conduct thorough checks to rule out the presence of secondary explosive devices. Following a report of an IED explosion received today, 24th December 2025, at about 1800hrs, at Al-Adum Jumaat Mosque, located within Gamboru Market, Maiduguri, during prayers, the Borno State Police Command, under the directive of the Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Abdulmajid psc, immediately activated a Rescue/Joint Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and other relevant security and emergency response agencies. The affected area has been cordoned off to ensure public safety and facilitate emergency operations, the statement read. "Preliminary reports indicate that five (5) persons lost their lives, while thirty-five (35) others sustained varying degrees of injuries and have been evacuated to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) and the State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri, for medical treatment. "Preliminary investigations further suggest that the incident may have been a suicide bombing, based on the recovery of fragments of a suspected suicide vest and witness statements recorded, while investigations are ongoing to establish the exact cause and circumstances. "The Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit is conducting thorough sweeping operations within and around the scene to rule out any secondary devices. "Further updates will be communicated as investigations progress. Normalcy has been restored, Members of the public are advised to remain calm, avoid the affected area, and continue to cooperate with timely information. Emergency Contacts: 0806 807 5581, 0802 347 3293.