THE deadly explosion that tore through Al-Adum Jummat Mosque in the Gamboru Market area of Maiduguri on Wednesday, 24 December 2025, has been confirmed by the Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) as a suicide attack carried out by Boko Haram terrorist group.
The ICIR reported that the blast occurred around 6:00 p.m., just as residents and traders began observing evening prayers, in one of Maiduguri’s busiest commercial hubs.
The hubs, according to reports, draw people from Borno State and neighbouring countries like Chad, Cameroon, and Niger.
In a statement, the spokesman of the Theatre Command, Sani Uba, said, “Preliminary findings indicated the incident was caused by a suspected Boko Haram Terrorist (BHT) suicide bomber, who detonated an improvised explosive device, killing himself and two civilians on the scene.”
Uba added that security forces, working alongside the Nigeria Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, other sister security agencies, the Borno State Government, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), “responded promptly, secured, and cordoned off the affected area to prevent further harm and ensure public safety.”
He noted that casualties were immediately evacuated to the General Hospital and the Teaching Hospital in Maiduguri for urgent medical attention.
According to him, “a total of 32 civilians sustained varying degrees of injuries. But two of the injured civilians were later confirmed dead at the hospital, while two others are currently in critical condition.”
He further stressed that the remaining injured persons were stable and receiving appropriate medical care.
HumanAngle had reported that its observed several ambulances transporting victims to both the Maiduguri Specialist Hospital and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, noting that at the Specialist Hospital, 17 victims with injuries to their arms and legs were admitted to the Weapon Wound Ward.
The Borno State Police Command had earlier confirmed the gravity of the attack. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Nahum Kenneth Daso said, “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,”
He also confirmed that five persons lost their lives immediately after the bomb blast.
Background
Boko Haram, which refers to itself as Jama’at Ahl al-Sunna li al-Da’wa wa al-Jihad, was founded in the early 2000s by Mohammed Yusuf, and became violent after his death.
The group carried out a string of deadly attacks during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency (2010–2015), including the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Abuja in 2011 and multiple assaults on churches, mosques, and schools.
Also, in April 2014, more than 270 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, were abducted by the terror group,
When former President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015, he pledged to end Boko Haram ‘within months.’ His administration initially recaptured territories held by the insurgents and announced their ‘technical defeat’ in 2015.
However, the group splintered into factions, including the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which has since become the dominant force in the region.
In July 2025, The ICIR reported that both the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and ISWAP had conducted over 300 attacks in the North-East region since the beginning of 2025.
The report stressed that while JAS was responsible for the highest number of attacks, ISWAP overran at least 16 military bases in Nigeria within the first six months of 2025.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M