Christmas Eve tragedy: Many feared dead as explosion rips through Maiduguri Mosque

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

An explosion ripped through a mosque in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State, on Wednesday evening as Muslim worshippers gathered for Maghrib prayers, according to eyewitness accounts and local reports.

The blast occurred around 6:10 p.m. local time at a mosque in the Gamboru Ward area, near the bustling Customs district and Gamboru Main Market.

Residents described hearing a powerful detonation that caused immediate panic in the densely populated central part of the city.

While details remain preliminary, local sources, including telephone interviews with residents, indicate that several worshippers may have been killed or injured.

International outlets, citing on-the-ground witnesses, reported no immediate official confirmation of casualties.

Borno State police spokespersons have yet to issue a statement, with one official en route to the scene for assessment.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the incident bears hallmarks of tactics employed by jihadist insurgents active in the region, including the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Maiduguri has long been the epicenter of a nearly two-decade insurgency led by Boko Haram, founded in the city in 2009, and its splinter faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

These groups have historically targeted mosques, markets, and crowded public spaces, contributing to tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions across northeast Nigeria.

The timing of the explosion, just hours before Christmas celebrations, has heightened tensions in the city, particularly among its Christian communities preparing for the holiday.

Security forces have cordoned off the area, and investigations are underway. This incident marks a rare breach of relative calm in Maiduguri’s urban center in recent years.