Konduga Suicide Blast Kills 20 in Nigeria, Suspected Boko Haram Bomber Targets Anti-Militant Fighters

At least 20 people were killed in a suicide bombing late Friday in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state, when a woman—allegedly acting on behalf of Boko Haram insurgents—detonated explosives at a gathering of anti-militant vigilantes in the town of Konduga.

Local militia members told AFP the attack targeted a group of vigilantes and hunters who support the Nigerian military in counterinsurgency operations. The explosion occurred around 9:15 p.m. near Konduga’s busy fish market.

“We lost 20 people in the suicide attack… while our members were hanging out near the fish market,” said Tijjani Ahmed, head of the local anti-militant militia. He added that 18 died instantly, while two more succumbed to injuries in hospital. Sixteen others were wounded, with 10 in critical condition being treated in Maiduguri hospitals.

Police confirmed at least 10 fatalities, cautioning that the toll could rise as “details are sketchy,” according to Borno state police spokesperson Nahum Daso.

Witnesses said the attacker was disguised as a local woman and detonated the explosives near a shed used by the militia. The blast shattered a year-long relative calm in Konduga, which lies about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Maiduguri, the state capital.

On Saturday, a mass funeral was held, with victims’ bodies wrapped in white cloth and bamboo mats, laid out for burial.

Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have intensified attacks in Borno and neighboring regions in recent months, including assaults on military bases. The conflict, ongoing for 16 years, has claimed more than 40,000 lives and displaced over two million people, according to the UN. The violence has also spilled over into neighboring countries, prompting a joint regional military response.