Nigerian police suspect a Boko Haram suicide bomber in the Christmas Eve mosque blast in Maiduguri that killed at least five, updating initial reports of seven deaths amid ongoing investigation.
Updating coverage of the December 24, 2025, explosion during evening prayers at the Gamboru Juma’at Mosque (also known as Al-Adum Juma’at) in Maiduguri's Gamboru market, Borno state police now suspect a suicide bomber detonated the device around 6:00 pm. Spokesman Nahum Daso cited fragments of a suspected suicide vest and witness accounts, stating an 'unknown individual, whom we suspect to be a member of a terrorist group,' entered the crowded mosque.
Police report five killed and 35 wounded, though early witness accounts cited up to eight deaths. The Nigerian Army's Operation Hadin Kai confirmed Boko Haram's responsibility. The attack drew condemnations from the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Arewa Consultative Forum, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and President Bola Tinubu, who ordered bolstered security at markets and worship sites.
In response, police have increased deployments to public areas.