An explosion at a mosque in the city of Maiduguri, in nnortheast Nigeria, killed seven worshipers, an anti-jihadist militia leader said. No armed group immediately claimed responsibility for what the militia leader Dada Ko he described it as a bomb attack.
Maiduguri is the capital of Borno State, theater of an insurrection led by jihadist groups for years Boko Haram and its affiliate, lo Islamic State of West Africaalthough the city itself has not suffered any major attacks in years.
According to witnesses, the bomb exploded inside a crowded mosque in Gamboru market, while Muslim faithful had gathered for evening prayers. One of the officials of the mosque, Mr. Abuna Yusufreported eight deaths, although authorities have not yet released the official death toll.
The Babakura Kolo militia said seven people had been killed, adding that it suspected the bomb had been planted inside the mosque and exploded during prayers. Witnesses described it as a suicide bombing. The number of injured was not immediately known, but a witness, Learn Musa Yushau.said he “saw many victims being taken away for medical treatment.”
Nigeria has been in the grip of a jihadist insurgency since 2009. According to the United Nations, the conflict has caused at least 40,000 victims and displaced around two million people in the north-east of the country. Although violence has decreased in the last decade, it has spread to neighboring countries, including Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
Concerns are growing over a resurgence of violence in parts of the north-east, where rebel groups continue to carry out deadly attacks despite years of military operations. Once the scene of shootings and attacks, Maiduguri has remained relatively calm for several years, with the last major attack occurring in 2021.
However, the memory of the conflict remains, with military pick-ups passing through the city every day. Checkpoints are still active in the evening, although markets, which previously closed in the early afternoon, now remain open until late at night. Meanwhile, in the countryside, the insurgency continues to rage, with analysts warning of a resurgence of jihadist violence this year.
