Army Confirms Four Killed, 32 Injured In Borno Mosque Explosion
The Nigerian Army has confirmed that four people were killed and 32 others injured following a bomb explosion at a mosque inside Gamboru Market in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The incident happened on Wednesday evening during Maghrib prayers.
The Joint Task Force North East, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), through its Media Information Officer, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, made the confirmation in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Uba said the explosion occurred at about 6:00 p.m. while worshippers were observing prayers at the mosque.
According to him, initial investigations showed that the blast was caused by a suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber who detonated an improvised explosive device.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the explosion was caused by a suspected Boko Haram terrorist suicide bomber who detonated an IED, killing himself and two civilians at the scene,” Uba said.
He explained that troops of Operation Hadin Kai, working alongside the Nigeria Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, other security agencies, the Borno State Government and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), responded immediately to the attack.
“The affected area was quickly secured and cordoned off to prevent further harm, while casualties were evacuated to the General Hospital and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for treatment,” he added.
Uba said that although 32 civilians sustained injuries, two of them later died at the hospital, bringing the total number of civilian deaths to four.
He noted that two of the injured victims were in critical condition, while the remaining patients were stable and responding to medical care.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
