Army Nabs Terror Accomplice in Borno Mosque Bombing

Troops of the Nigerian Army have apprehended two suspects linked to the Christmas Eve bomb blast that claimed five lives and left 32 others injured at a mosque in Gamboru Market, Maiduguri, Borno State.

The incident happened when a suicide attacker triggered an improvised explosive device (IED) inside the mosque while worshippers were observing prayers.

According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency platform covering the Lake Chad region, intelligence sources disclosed that the operation was jointly orchestrated by terrorist groups including Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), Ansaru, and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).

The report stated that a Boko Haram unit led by Munzir Abu Ziyadah, described as a notorious IED expert, allegedly assembled as many as ten person-borne improvised explosive devices (PBIEDs) at the Ali Ngulde camp axis in Borno State. The militants were said to have moved through the Ngoshe Mountains into the Gazuwa and Ngom communities ahead of the planned assaults, one of which resulted in the fatal mosque explosion.

Makama reported that troops of Operation Hadin Kai arrested the first suspect on Monday evening in Banki town, Borno State, during intelligence-driven patrols. The suspect was reportedly intercepted while in possession of primed IED components.

The second suspect, identified as Ibrahim, was arrested in Damaturu, Yobe State, following cooperation between security agencies and a local hunters’ group. He was later transferred to Maiduguri for further questioning.

During interrogation, Ibrahim reportedly led investigators to the Izala Mosque in the Tashan Joni area of Maiduguri, where he claimed to have dumped a bag containing an IED after failing to get close enough to detonate it. Security personnel, however, could not locate the bag at the site.

Further questioning allegedly led Ibrahim to admit that he acted as an accomplice in the Gamboru Market mosque bombing. He confessed to placing an explosive device inside a bag at the mosque entrance on Christmas Eve, while his accomplice, Adamu, now deceased, entered the mosque wearing a suicide vest and detonated it.

The suspect also admitted that six suicide bombers were deployed to Maiduguri before the attack under the coordination of a terror kingpin. He reportedly named three of the bombers — Salisu, Yusuf, and Adamu — as Maiduguri residents, while the remaining three — Adamu, Yusuf, and Abdullahi — were said to hail from Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

The publication further disclosed that a security sweep along the Cameroon–Nigeria border resulted in the interception of a Peugeot vehicle transporting six bags of urea fertiliser, a critical material used in producing IEDs.

The driver and the fertiliser consignment were taken into custody, while subsequent operations led to the arrest of the fertiliser supplier and the recovery of an additional six bags of urea fertiliser.