At least five people were killed and more than 35 wounded when a bomb exploded at a crowded mosque in Gamboro market in Maiduguri, the capital of northeastern Borno state, during Maghrib prayers, police said.
Police officials have described the incident as a possible suicide attack, citing the recovery of fragments of a suspected explosive vest and testimony from witnesses.
Initial investigations indicate that the bomb may have been detonated by a suicide bomber.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but such attacks in the past have often been attributed to the terrorist group Boko Haram or its affiliate ISIS West Africa Province – ISWAP.
Maiduguri has been the epicenter of the group’s insurgency since 2009, and the explosion has raised concerns about a return to attacks after years of relative calm in the city.
The incident occurred on Christmas Eve and security forces have cordoned off the area to search for secondary explosive devices.
