A suicide bomber killed five people at the central mosque in Maiduguri on Friday, the military said.
The blast narrowly missed the deputy governor of Borno state, Zanna Umar Mustapha, and Borno’s Shehu (regional religious leader), Abubakar Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, who were attending Friday prayers.
“The suicide bomber was about 15 years old … Fortunately we both escaped unhurt,” Mr Mustapha told reporters.
Six people were also injured in the attack, military spokesman Sagir Musa told reporters.
Boko Haram has killed hundreds of people this year in an insurgency against the Federal government of Nigeria, seeking to carve out an Islamic state in the country.
The sect often targets government officials, religious figures and places of worship, usually Christian churches.
Security experts believe Boko Haram’s attacks on religious centres in central and northern Nigeria are an attempt to provoke wider religious conflict in the country.
Boko Haram claimed responsibility for attacks that killed more than 65 people in Plateau State over the weekend, including a ruling party senator, although security officials blamed localised ethnic clashes.
A suicide bomber killed five people at the central mosque in Maiduguri on Friday, the military said.
The blast narrowly missed the deputy governor of Borno state, Zanna Umar Mustapha, and Borno’s Shehu (regional religious leader), Abubakar Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, who were attending Friday prayers.
“The suicide bomber was about 15 years old … Fortunately we both escaped unhurt,” Mr Mustapha told reporters.
Six people were also injured in the attack, military spokesman Sagir Musa told reporters.
Boko Haram has killed hundreds of people this year in an insurgency against the Federal government of Nigeria, seeking to carve out an Islamic state in the country.
The sect often targets government officials, religious figures and places of worship, usually Christian churches.
Security experts believe Boko Haram’s attacks on religious centres in central and northern Nigeria are an attempt to provoke wider religious conflict in the country.
Boko Haram claimed responsibility for attacks that killed more than 65 people in Plateau State over the weekend, including a ruling party senator, although security officials blamed localised ethnic clashes.
David Mark condemns attack
The President of the Senate, David Mark, has condemned the bombing of the Mosque of the Shehu of Borno in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Mr Mark, who described the act as “callous”, said attack on places of worship is not only ungodly but “a huge sacrilege.”
He said the attack on the Shehu’s Mosque has shown that Boko Haram in itself is not helping to propagate Islam contrary to the messages that had been churned out by the sect.
The senate President commiserated with government and people of Borno State and advised Nigerians to be security conscious.
He urged Nigerians to continue to provide information that would quell the activities of the Boko Haram sect to security agencies even as he called on those responsible for these murderous acts to have a rethink and accept dialogue
