Nigeria: Vigilante group saves worshippers from mosque bombing

A double bomb attack planned on a mosque in Maiduguri, north-eastern Nigeria was averted after a vigilante group stopped two suspicious men from joining the Ramadan prayers early Monday morning.

The suspects later detonated their bombs outside the mosque killing themselves, local sources said.

Astagfirullah, Bomb blast in a mosque in Maiduguri, Ya Allah Protect All Muslims, And may All The dead muslims be forgiven. AMEEN.

— Muh'd Gazali (@Itzz_wizgaz) June 27, 2016

JUST IN: Another bomb blast about 20 minutes ago, this time towards the North Eastern part of #Maiduguri

— Shehu Masta II™ (@UncleBish) June 27, 2016

“There were two blasts outside a mosque this morning, but fortunately there were no casualties other than the two suicide bombers,” Babagana Kolo, a member of the vigilante group in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State told AFP.

According to Kolo, the two suspected bombers wanted to join the night Ramadan prayer in the mosque but were stopped at the entrance by a guard.

“A member of the vigilante group did not let them in because they were suspicious, and he was right,” he said.

“The two suspects began arguing and one might have lost his patience and set off his explosives. Soon after, the second bomber also killed himself in an explosion,” added a resident who wished to remain anonymous.

According to the sources, only one person, a member of the vigilante group, was injured and the mosque prayer was canceled.

It is not immediately possible to determine whether the two suspects belonged to the Islamist jihadist group Boko Haram.

Boko Haram has struck many mosques killing scores of Muslims in northern Nigeria and Cameroon.

The insurgency has killed about 17,000 people and left more than two million homeless in the northern part of Nigeria.