While Muslims were performing their Maghrib prayers at Gomboru’s Central Mosque in Maiduguri, Borno State, last Wednesday, coinciding with the time when Christian worshippers in Gwoza and other parts of Nigeria were making final preparations for their annual Christmas celebrations to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, a terrorist detonated a bomb strapped to his body, which exploded and killed at least seven people, while wounding many others.
This incident comes at a time when Nigerians had begun to grow accustomed to such attacks, which from 2010 to 2023 repeatedly targeted various places of worship. From mosques to churches, markets, and motor parks, as well as villages, numerous lives were lost in assaults claimed by the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorist groups. These attacks were partly aimed at sowing fear and division, sparking conflict between Muslims and Christians, and exposing the weaknesses of government security agencies in curbing their operations.
There is no doubt that at that time, Nigerians found themselves in a dire atmosphere of terror, mutual distrust, and inciting rhetoric that worsened the ongoing security challenges. Even among leaders, politicians, and security personnel, accusations of supporting terrorism and showing bias toward certain groups persisted. After several years, significant changes emerged: security forces achieved substantial victories over the terrorist groups, though no one would claim the security problem was entirely eradicated. Suicide bombings decreased or even ceased. Nigerians began to feel safer with one another, and strict measures implemented at worship sites and public gatherings restored calm. Security operatives themselves found operations easier, including vehicle checks at checkpoints, raids on terrorist hideouts, and other security provision efforts in cities, towns, and villages.
However, just as a semblance of peace and improved security measures took hold in some areas, security challenges began to take a new turn. The activities of bandit groups kidnapping people and livestock for ransom, along with attacks on villages that kill innocent women, the elderly, and children, prevent farmers from accessing their fields or impose heavy taxes before allowing them to harvest, and they have become rampant.
The recent attack at Maiduguri’s Central Mosque reminds us of the 2014 assault on worshippers at Kano’s Central Mosque, which claimed over 120 lives, along with similar incidents at other mosques, particularly in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states. Such attacks have also repeatedly targeted churches and Christian worship sites, especially during Christmas periods, in Plateau, Kaduna, Borno, Niger, and Ondo states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
I believe you could remember the Christmas Day attack on St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Abuja, in 2011, as well as similar attacks on COCIN churches in Jos, Maiduguri, and Damaturu, which claimed many lives, sowed fear, and instilled anxiety in worshippers and other Nigerians.
As mentioned earlier, the intent of these terrorists is to further divide Nigerians, undermine the government and security forces, and enable them to carry out their evil agenda against a populace that desires peace and improved living conditions. Wednesday’s attack in Maiduguri has opened our eyes to the fact that terrorism has not completely ended and remains dormant — terrorists are merely waiting for an opportunity, exploiting negligence and complacency, to resume their familiar activities.
With the resilience security forces have shown against terrorists, the modern equipment acquired, and the lessons Nigerians have learned from past events, the terrorists’ setback at that time should not be repeated.
Achieving victory over terrorists depends on our continued vigilance, paying attention to our surroundings, avoiding divisions along religious or ethnic lines, and providing security forces with unified support and vital intelligence to ensure success. If we persist in giving terrorism a foothold within our communities by failing to properly expose suspects, shielding those authorities disapprove of, or continuing to allow individuals to acquire arms under the guise of self-defense, these factors empower insecurity to persist, strengthen resilience, and destroy our social fabric.
Let us remain watchful, support security measures, and intensify prayers at worship sites. We must not forget to reinstate our previous precautionary security protocols at all our worship places, mosques, and churches, as well as markets and public gathering spots. We cannot afford to slacken.
May God Almighty help us achieve lasting peace, and may we enter the 2026 New Year in good health and spirits.
Abba Abubakar Yakubu is a Jos-based multimedia journalist.
