Crime
I was paid N100,000 to bomb worshippers, says Maiduguri suicide bomber”
I was paid N100,000 to bomb worshippers, says Maiduguri suicide bomber”
By: Zagazola Makama
A suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber, Ibrahim Mohammed, captured by troops of Operation HADIM KAI in collaboration with hunters in Yobe state has revealed chilling details of how he was recruited, paid and deployed to carry out deadly attacks on worshippers in Maiduguri, admitting that he received up to N100,000 for suicide bombing missions.
Ibrahim, who confessed to involvement in the Dec. 24 suicide bombing at the Gamboru Market Mosque, Maiduguri, said the operation was planned and executed under the directive of Boko Haram commanders operating between Adamawa State and the Mandara Mountains.
“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 attack claimed five lives and left 32 worshippers injured, plunging Maiduguri town into confusion during the festive period.
Narrating how the attack was executed, Ibrahim said the operatives exploited periods when mosques were empty to plant the 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.
According to him, the devices were coupled and timed 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 disturbing twist, Ibrahim admitted that after the explosion, he returned to the scene and pretended to be a civilian helper.
“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 disclosed that suicide bombing had become a paid assignment within the terror network. “I was paid money ranging from N70,000 to N100,000 per mission,” he said.
However, he claimed to have regretted his actions after witnessing the scale of civilian casualties. “I regret my action for killing innocent people who did not commit any crime,” Ibrahim said.
Zagazola Makama report Ibrahim was part of a wider terror cell dispatched to conduct multiple attacks across the North-East as part of the coordinated plans by Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), Ansaru and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) elements to execute suicide bombings and improvised explosive device (IED) attacks across parts of the North-East zone.
It was gathered that a Boko Haram team led by a notorious IED expert, Munzir Abu Ziyadah, allegedly prepared up to 10 person-borne improvised explosive device (PBIED) attacks from the Ali Ngulde camp axis to carry out the mission.
After the Gamboru attack, Ibrahim reportedly moved to Yobe State to conduct reconnaissance for further operations.
“After the mission, I proceeded to Yobe for another assignment, to carry out recce on military positions and hunters’ groups for possible attacks on new recruits,” he said.
He added that additional suicide bombers had been deployed to Damaturu for attacks on mosques and markets.
At about 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 29, Ibrahim was arrested in Damaturu by local hunters working with Operation Hadin Kai during a raid on a suspected hideout inhabited by Almajirai.
Security sources said his strange presence among the group raised suspicion, leading to his arrest and interrogation.
During questioning, he confessed to being a member of the Boko Haram Terrorist (BHT) JAS faction from the Mandara Mountains and admitted he entered Maiduguri alongside the bomber who detonated the device at Gamboru Market Mosque.
He disclosed that while his accomplice carried out the Gamboru attack, he was assigned to detonate another bomb at the new Izala Mosque near Tashan Joni, Maiduguri.
“I dropped my own suicide vest or bag around the Izala Mosque because I couldn’t access the mosque due to strict security checks,” he said.
Following the confession, troops of Operation Hadin Kai, supported by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams of the police, were immediately deployed to the Izala Mosque area identified by the suspect.
Although no explosive device has been recovered so far, security sources said it was possible the bag may have been picked up by an unsuspecting individual.
Intelligence sources indicated that Izala mosques were deliberately selected as targets by the terror cell.
Consequently, troops and other security agencies across the North-East theatre have been placed on heightened alert, with specific instructions to reinforce security around places of worship, markets and other soft targets.
Zagazola reports that the confession has provided critical insight into Boko Haram’s recruitment tactics, financing of suicide missions and the evolving threat of coordinated attacks, reinforcing the need for sustained intelligence-led operations and community vigilance across the region.
I was paid N100,000 to bomb worshippers, says Maiduguri suicide bomber”
Troops Neutralise Suspected Kidnapper While Attempting Escape in Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP) have neutralised a suspected kidnapper and cattle rustler while he was allegedly attempting to escape from custody in Plateau State.
Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the suspect, identified as Samaila Shuibu, had earlier been arrested with arms at Hurti community in Bokkos Local Government Area of the state.
The sources said the incident occurred on Saturday while troops of Sector 5, Operation ENDURING PEACE, were transporting the suspect to the Joint Task Force (JTF) headquarters in Jos for further investigation and possible prosecution.
According to the sources, the military vehicle conveying the suspect developed a flat tyre along the route, prompting the troops to stop and replace it.
“During the process of changing the tyre, the suspect reportedly jumped out of the vehicle and attempted to escape.
“The troops immediately pursued him, and he was neutralised during the ensuing encounter,” a security source said.
The source added that three rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition were expended during the operation.
Military authorities said the movement and subsequent operation were conducted without any further incident.
They noted that troops deployed under Operation ENDURING PEACE remain committed to ongoing efforts aimed at tackling kidnapping, cattle rustling and other criminal activities across Plateau State and its environs.
Troops Neutralise Suspected Kidnapper While Attempting Escape in Plateau
Brazil-Based Businessman Held as NDLEA Uncovers Cocaine-Soaked Shirts at Lagos Airport
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, after discovering shirts and towels allegedly impregnated with liquid cocaine in a major anti-narcotics operation that also led to the seizure of over two tonnes of illicit drugs across the country.
The suspect, 41-year-old Abugu Ikechukwu, was arrested upon arrival from São Paulo, Brazil, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight. NDLEA said a detailed examination of his luggage uncovered 14 shirts and towels soaked in liquid cocaine, dried and carefully ironed to evade detection.
The spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday, said forensic analysis revealed the concealed narcotics weighed 6.1 kilogrammes.
Abugu reportedly told investigators that he had lived in Brazil for more than 14 years where he operates an African restaurant and had travelled to Nigeria to visit his family and purchase food supplies for his business.
The arrest was part of a nationwide crackdown that saw NDLEA operatives recover massive consignments of cannabis, tramadol and other controlled substances in multiple states and the Federal Capital Territory.
In a development highlighting the growing reach of drug trafficking networks, the agency also arrested two persons living with disabilities for alleged involvement in the illicit drug trade. A 60-year-old woman, Chidimma Sunday, was taken into custody in Abia State after being caught with 1.8 kilogrammes of skunk, while 28-year-old Abubakar Usman was arrested in Rivers State with cannabis, methamphetamine, tramadol, diazepam and other prohibited substances.
In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives raided the warehouse of a suspected drug kingpin, Ali Adamu, at Maihula village in Bali Local Government Area, where 63 jumbo bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,121.5 kilogrammes were recovered.
Another major haul was recorded in Lagos where operatives seized 1,102 kilogrammes of Ghana Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, around the Alaba International Market in Ojo.
The agency also intercepted a vehicle along Bode Saadu Road in Kwara State carrying 304 kilogrammes of compressed cannabis blocks concealed in a Toyota jeep. Two suspects, Nasiru Hamza and Muhammad Sani, were arrested in connection with the shipment.
In Abuja, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Gwagwalada Expressway arrested Emmanuel Nnadi and recovered thousands of pills of tramadol, pregabalin and ecstasy, as well as hundreds of bottles of codeine-based syrup.
Other operations in Delta, Gombe and Kano states resulted in the arrest of several suspected traffickers and the seizure of additional consignments of cannabis and pharmaceutical opioids.
Beyond enforcement activities, the agency said it sustained its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through sensitisation programmes in schools, communities and traditional institutions across several states.
Meanwhile, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the operations, describing the seizures and arrests as further evidence of the agency’s commitment to reducing drug supply while intensifying public awareness against substance abuse.
He urged commands across the country to sustain the momentum and continue surpassing previous operational records in the fight against illicit drugs.
Brazil-Based Businessman Held as NDLEA Uncovers Cocaine-Soaked Shirts at Lagos Airport
Troops Recover AK-47 Rifle, Ammunition in Failed ISWAP Reconnaissance Operation in Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of 68 Battalion, Mallam Fatori, have recovered one AK-47 rifle and 31 rounds of ammunition during an operation against suspected ISWAP elements in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State.
Security sources said the incident occurred at about 9:07 a.m. on June 11 when troops observed the movement of two ISWAP reconnaissance teams ahead of their defensive area of responsibility.
According to the sources, an ambush team was immediately deployed to flank the suspected terrorists, but the insurgents fled upon sighting the troops and opened fire while escaping.
Following an exploitation of the area, troops recovered one AK-47 rifle and 31 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.
The sources added that follow-up operations were ongoing to track the fleeing terrorists and deny them freedom of movement within the general area.
Military authorities said the operation was part of sustained efforts to disrupt terrorist reconnaissance activities and strengthen security across the Lake Chad axis.
They reaffirmed commitment to maintaining pressure on insurgent groups until they are fully degraded.
Troops Recover AK-47 Rifle, Ammunition in Failed ISWAP Reconnaissance Operation in Borno
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