Five killed in Nigeria mosque attack, police say

At least 5 worshippers were killed and 35 others injured when a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive inside a mosque in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's Borno state, during evening prayers, police said.



No group has claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack, which comes amid heightened security concerns in Nigeria's northeast, where Islamist insurgents Boko Haram and its ISWAP faction have waged a 15-year campaign of violence targeting civilians, mosques, and markets.



The blast at the Al-Adum mosque occurred around 6 p.m. local time as congregants gathered for evening worship. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as victims were rushed to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and the State Specialist Hospital.



"Nobody knows what happened. It was during prayers that the bomb exploded. Allah has destined that this will happen but nobody can give details of how it happened," said Masta Dalori, a market leader.



Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum condemned the attack, calling it "utterly condemnable, barbaric and inhumane". In a statement, he urged heightened vigilance in places of worship and public spaces during the festive season.