A suspect, Ibrahim Mohammed, allegedly involved in the December 24 bomb blast at a Maiduguri mosque, was arrested by a vigilante group in Damaturu, Yobe State.
Mohammed was handed over to troops of Sector 2, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), part of the Joint Task Force North-East, for further profiling and investigation. Retired Brig.-Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, Special Adviser on Security Matters to Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni, disclosed that the suspect was arrested on December 29 after being assigned by insurgents to spy on troop and vigilante deployments in the state.
Following his arrest, Mohammed was transferred to the Theatre Command headquarters of OPHK in Maiduguri, Borno State. Abubakar expressed optimism that interrogation of the suspect would yield information on his collaborators and the leaders of his cell. The suspect also reportedly revealed that he had previously planted another bomb in a Maiduguri market, prompting authorities to work on defusing it.
Abubakar urged citizens to continue providing credible information to security operatives, emphasizing the vital role of trained vigilantes in the state’s security efforts. He noted, “These criminals are not spirits or angels; they are human beings like us. The vigilance and training of our local security personnel were crucial in apprehending him.”
Authorities continue to investigate the incident, with hopes of preventing further attacks and strengthening community cooperation with security agencies.
