Confusion as Borno Police Command Accuses Nigerian Army of Lying over Arrest of Suspected Mosque Bomber

The Borno State Police Command has accused the Nigerian Army of providing false information regarding the arrest of a suspected suicide bomber, insisting that the operation was carried out solely by the police and that no active improvised explosive device (IED) was recovered.

Earlier reports had claimed that troops of Operation Hadin Kai arrested a suspect, identified as Abubakar Mustapha, in Bama Local Government Area, along with materials allegedly intended for IED construction. The Joint Task Force (JTF) North-East hailed the arrest as a significant operational success, stating that the suspect was being interrogated to determine connections with terrorist networks operating in the area.

However, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Daso, clarified that the suspect is in police custody and that the items recovered were not components of a live IED. According to Daso, the arrest occurred on December 29 during police surveillance around a mosque in Banki, where officers found Abubakar in possession of electrical wires, old mobile phone batteries, assorted gadget scrap, and pairs of shoes. Preliminary investigations suggest that the items did not indicate any active IED fabrication or priming.

“The same suspect shown in the pictures released by the Army is with us. I personally interviewed him last night. The items recovered from him are not IEDs. It was a police operation,” Daso said, emphasizing that reports crediting the Army were false.

The Borno State Police Command has warned the public against spreading misinformation that could create fear or panic, urging reliance on credible and official sources for accurate updates. Investigations are ongoing to determine the suspect’s intentions and possible affiliations.