The Nigerian Army says a Boko Haram suicide bomber carried out the blast at a mosque in Maiduguri, Borno State, on December 24, 2025, killing civilians and injuring dozens during evening prayers. The army’s account identifies the attacker as the cause of the explosion at Al-Adum Jumaat Mosque in the Gamboru Market area of the city.
Initial reporting put the death toll at five, with 35 others injured. In the army’s later update, theatre command spokesman Lt. Col. Sani Uba said the bomber detonated an improvised explosive device, killing himself and two civilians at the scene. He said 32 civilians were injured, two of whom later died in hospital, while two others remained in critical condition.
The attack occurred during the Maghrib prayer session, when the mosque would have been crowded. That timing helps explain why the blast was so destructive and why the casualty count climbed as victims were taken to the General Hospital and the Teaching Hospital in Maiduguri. The army said troops, police bomb disposal experts, other security agencies, the Borno State Government and NEMA all responded to secure the area and prevent further harm.
The incident is part of the wider security burden that Borno has carried for years as Boko Haram and related groups continue to mount attacks despite military pressure. The army’s message was not only that it had identified the attacker, but also that surveillance and security measures were being intensified around Maiduguri and nearby communities during the festive period.
The report does not say whether any wider network was arrested or whether the bomber acted alone. What it does establish is that the mosque blast was treated as a Boko Haram suicide attack and that the casualty response was still unfolding after the initial explosion. For residents of Maiduguri, that means another episode of violence at a place of worship and another reminder that the insurgency remains capable of striking civilians in crowded settings.
The blast also shows why attacks on places of worship remain so destabilizing. A mosque bombing is not only a security event but a communal shock, and it can quickly alter movement patterns, prayer attendance and confidence in local policing. For Borno, those social effects are part of the violence itself.
For that reason, the response has to be about more than emergency care. Security forces will need to show residents that prayer spaces can still be used safely, even if the threat level stays high. That is a difficult message to deliver in Maiduguri, where many families have already seen too much violence.
