Abduljelil IssaA suspected Boko Haram member, Ibrahim Mohammed, has confessed that he received N100,000 to bomb a mosque filled with worshippers in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The confession was made public on Wednesday by counter-insurgency analyst Zagazola Makama via his X handle.
Makama said security sources informed him that Ibrahim was arrested by troops of Operation Hadin Kai working alongside local hunters in Yobe State.
Admitting his involvement in the December 24 suicide bombing at Gamboru Market Mosque in Maiduguri, Ibrahim stated that the attack was planned and carried out under directives from Boko Haram commanders operating between Adamawa State and the Mandara Mountains.
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“My name is Ibrahim from Michika in Adamawa. We came to Maiduguri to plant bombs in Izala Mosque. We were sent by our leaders, Adamu and Abubakar, who gave us two IEDs to plant in the mosque,” he said during interrogation.
The Gamboru Market Mosque bombing claimed five lives and left 325 worshippers injured, spreading fear across Maiduguri during the festive season.
Describing how the operation unfolded, Ibrahim said the attackers intentionally exploited periods when the mosque was largely empty to plant the improvised explosive devices.
“We came after Zuhur and Asr prayers when the mosque was empty. We entered pretending to pray. My colleague was digging to plant the IED in the middle of the mosque while I was digging by the side,” he said.
He explained that the devices were linked and set ahead of the Maghrib prayers.
“As Muslim faithful gathered to pray Maghrib, after the first raka’at, we detonated the bomb. We set the timing for five minutes. Shortly after, I ran to the market area,” he said.
In a shocking disclosure, Ibrahim admitted that he returned to the scene after the explosion and posed as a civilian offering help to victims.
“When I returned to the mosque, they were evacuating dead bodies. I helped them to convey the corpses and injured people in emergency vehicles,” he confessed.
The suspect further revealed that suicide bombings are treated as paid missions within the terror group.
“I was paid money ranging from N70,000 to N100,000 per mission,” he said.
He, however, claimed to have felt remorse after seeing the extent of civilian casualties.
“I regret my action for killing innocent people who did not commit any crime,” Ibrahim said.
Makama reported that Ibrahim belonged to a broader terror cell deployed to execute multiple attacks across the North-East, as part of coordinated plans by Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), Ansaru and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) factions to carry out suicide and improvised explosive device attacks across the region.
It was gathered that a Boko Haram unit led by a notorious IED specialist, Munzir Abu Ziyadah, allegedly prepared up to 10 person-borne improvised explosive device (PBIED) attacks from the Ali Ngulde camp axis for the mission.
Following the Gamboru Market Mosque bombing, Ibrahim reportedly relocated to Yobe State to conduct reconnaissance for additional operations.
“After the mission, I proceeded to Yobe for another assignment, to carry out a recce on military positions and hunters’ groups for possible attacks on new recruits,” he concluded.