Blast at Nigeria mosque kills 5

At least five people were killed and more than 30 others injured after a bomb exploded during prayers at a mosque in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Wednesday night, in what police said appeared to be a suicide attack.

Police in Borno state said 35 worshippers were wounded in the blast. Nahum Daso, a police spokesperson, said fragments believed to be from a suicide vest were recovered from the scene.

The attack comes amid continued violence in Nigeria’s restive northern region, where security forces are fighting several armed groups, including Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing. However, suicide attacks in the northeast have frequently been linked to Boko Haram, which has carried out similar assaults in the past.

Although analysts say the group has used suicide bombers less frequently in recent years, they warn it still retains the capability. In July 2024, a coordinated suicide bombing at a wedding in Borno revived fears of a return to such tactics.

Nigeria’s insurgency, which began in 2009, has killed thousands of people and displaced millions more, according to the United Nations.