The Nigerian Army has confirmed that the deadly bomb explosion at the Al-Adum Jummat Mosque, located within the Gamboru Market area of Maiduguri, Borno State, was carried out by a Boko Haram suicide bomber.

The blast, which occurred during the Maghrib prayer on Wednesday evening, claimed at least five lives, while dozens of worshippers sustained varying degrees of injuries.

Theatre Command of Operation Hadin Kai Spokesman, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, disclosed this in an update on Thursday, following preliminary investigations into the incident.

According to him, findings revealed that a suspected Boko Haram Terrorist (BHT) infiltrated the mosque and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

“Preliminary findings indicate the incident was caused by a suspected Boko Haram terrorist suicide bomber, who detonated an improvised explosive device, killing himself and two civilians on the spot,” Uba said.

He added that troops of Operation Hadin Kai, working in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit, other sister security agencies, the Borno State Government and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), swiftly mobilised to the scene.

“The affected area was immediately secured and cordoned off to prevent further harm and ensure public safety,” he said.

Lt.-Col. Uba further confirmed that casualties were promptly evacuated to the General Hospital Maiduguri and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for urgent medical attention.

He stated that a total of 32 civilians sustained injuries from the explosion.

“Two of the injured civilians were later confirmed dead at the hospital, while two others are currently in critical condition,” he said.

“The remaining injured persons are stable and are receiving appropriate medical care,” Uba added.

Meanwhile, Vice-President Kashim Shettima has disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate intensification of security operations across Borno State following the attack.

Shettima made this known in a statement on Thursday, noting that additional tactical security teams had been deployed to track down and apprehend the perpetrators of the attack.

Condemning the bombing, the Vice-President described it as “a despicable assault on innocent citizens and the peace of the nation.”

He said the Federal Government was working closely with the Borno State Government and local security agencies to strengthen the protection of vulnerable communities and critical infrastructure across the North-East and other parts of the country.

“The Federal Government will not tolerate any attempt to undermine the peace and security of our nation,” Shettima said, adding that security agencies were operating round the clock to ensure that those responsible were brought to justice.

The Vice-President expressed condolences to the Borno State Government, residents of Maiduguri and families of the victims, assuring them that the perpetrators would face the full weight of the law.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the Tinubu administration to national security, stressing that the Federal Government would continue to provide the armed forces and other security agencies with the necessary support and resources to combat terrorism in all its forms.

The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents in Nigeria’s conflict-hit northern region, where security forces have been battling insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Since the insurgency began in 2009, several thousand people have been killed, while millions have been displaced from their homes across the North-East, according to United Nations reports.