A suspected Boko Haram operative, Ibrahim Mohammed, has confessed that he was paid N100,000 to bomb a mosque with its worshippers in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The confession was disclosed on Wednesday by counter-insurgency professional Zagazola Makama on his X deal with.
In accordance with Makama, safety sources revealed to him that troops of Operation Hadin Kai arrested Ibrahim in collaboration with native hunters in Yobe State.
“At about 2:30 p.m. on December 29, Ibrahim was arrested in Damaturu by native hunters working with Operation Hadin Kai throughout a raid on a suspected hideout inhabited by Almajirai. Safety sources stated his unusual presence among the many group raised suspicion, resulting in his arrest and interrogation,” Makama wrote.
Quoting safety sources, Makama stated that the suspect admitted involvement within the December 24 bombing on the Gamboru Market Mosque in Maiduguri, which claimed 5 lives and injured 32 worshippers.
Throughout interrogation, Ibrahim stated the assault was carried out on the directive of Boko Haram commanders working between Adamawa State and the Mandara Mountains.
“My title is Ibrahim from Michika in Adamawa. We got here to Maiduguri to plant bombs in Izala Mosque. We have been despatched by our leaders, Adamu and Abubakar, who gave us two IEDs to plant within the mosque,” he stated.
He defined that they took benefit of occasions when mosques have been empty to plant the explosives.
“We got here after Zuhur and Asr prayers when the mosque was empty. We entered, pretending to hope. My colleague was digging to plant the IED in the course of the mosque whereas I used to be digging by the aspect,” Ibrahim stated.
In accordance with him, the units have been timed forward of Maghrib prayers. “As Muslim trustworthy gathered to hope Maghrib, after the primary raka’at, we detonated the bomb. We set the timing for 5 minutes. Shortly after, I ran to the market space,” he added.
In a disturbing revelation, the suspect stated he returned to the scene after the explosion and pretended to be a civilian volunteer.
“After I returned to the mosque, they have been evacuating lifeless our bodies. I helped them to convey the corpses and injured individuals in emergency autos,” he confessed.
Ibrahim additionally disclosed that suicide bombing had change into a paid project throughout the terror group. “I used to be paid cash starting from N70,000 to N100,000 per mission,” he stated, including that he later regretted his actions.
Safety sources additional revealed to Makama that Ibrahim was a part of a wider terror cell deployed to hold out coordinated assaults throughout the North-East, involving parts of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), Ansaru and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).
“It was gathered {that a} Boko Haram workforce led by a infamous IED professional, Munzir Abu Ziyadah, allegedly ready as much as 10 person-borne improvised explosive units from the Ali Ngulde camp axis for the deliberate assaults,” Makama revealed.
After the Gamboru Market Mosque bombing, Ibrahim reportedly moved to Yobe State for additional assignments.
“After the mission, I proceeded to Yobe for one more project, to hold out a recce on army positions and hunters’ {groups} for attainable assaults on new recruits,” he stated.
He additionally disclosed that different suicide bombers had been deployed to Damaturu to assault mosques and markets.
Makama quoted him as saying he was additionally assigned to hold out one other assault at a brand new Izala Mosque close to Tashan Joni, Maiduguri.
“I dropped my very own suicide vest or bag across the Izala Mosque as a result of I couldn’t entry the mosque attributable to strict safety checks,” he stated.
Following the confession, troops of Operation Hadin Kai, supported by police explosive ordnance disposal groups, have been deployed to the world recognized by the suspect.
Though no explosive gadget has been recovered, safety sources warned that an unsuspecting particular person could have picked up the bag.
