44 killed in Nigeria mosque attack

[CNN]

 Plateau State, Nigeria (CNN) -- Gunmen attacked a mosque in Nigeria with automatic weapons over the weekend, killing at least 44 people, a local police official said.

It's not clear who was behind Sunday's massacre, but the militant Islamist group Boko Haram -- which has staged attacks in the same region before -- issued a video around the same time boasting that it was gaining in strength.

Details have been slow to emerge about the attack in Konduga, about 30 kilometers (almost 19 miles) southeast of Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's northern Borno state.

The police official in Konduga spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Tackling terrorism in Nigeria  In the video released by Boko Haram, its leader Abubakar Shekau claimed that the militant group is growing stronger despite the Nigerian military's efforts to curb its activities.

"You soldiers have claimed that you are powerful, and that you have defeated us, you say we are mad people; but how can a mad man organize the attacks in Gamboru, in Malumfatori, slaughter people in Biu, kill in Gwoza and in Bama successfully, where soldiers fled under our heavy fire power?" he said.

"We have killed countless soldiers and we are going to kill more. Our strength and firepower is bigger than that of Nigeria. Nigeria is no longer a big deal to us, as far as we are concerned.

"We will now comfortably confront the United States of America."

Shekau said the group would continue to kill unbelievers and "anyone who stands against the will of Allah by opposing Sharia," or Islamic law.

The U.S. State Department named Shekau as a "specially designated global terrorist" in June last year.

State of emergency

Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is forbidden," seeks to overthrow the Nigerian government and replace it with a regime based on Islamic law.

A state of emergency has been imposed in Borno state since May 14, including a complete communications blackout, as authorities seek to tackle the militant group.

Yobe and Adamawa states, which border Borno state, were placed under a state of emergency at the same time.

Declaring the state of emergency in May, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan blamed "terrorists" aimed at "rebellion" who have caused "fear among our citizens and a near breakdown of law and order in parts of the country."

He said the terrorists were mounting a "rebellion and insurgency" that threatened Nigeria's unity and stability, and pledged to send more troops to the three northeastern states.

"We have taken robust steps to unravel and address the root causes of these crises, but it would appear that there is a systematic effort by insurgents and terrorists to destabilize the Nigerian state and test our collective resolve," he said in a televised speech.

With an estimated 174.5 million people, Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation. The CIA World Factbook says the nation is roughly 50% Muslim and 40% Christian.

Violence between the mainly Muslim north and Christian south has taken at least 2,800 lives, according to Human Rights Watch.

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CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

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