The Yobe State Government has confirmed the arrest of a suspect allegedly connected to the December 24 bomb blast at a mosque in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The suspect, identified as Ibrahim Mohammed, was apprehended on December 29 by a vigilante group in Damaturu before being handed over to troops of Sector 2, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), Joint Task Force North-East.
The Special Adviser on Security Matters to Governor Mai Mala Buni, Brigadier-General Abdulsalam Abubakar (retd.), disclosed this on Wednesday in Damaturu.
According to Abubakar, the vigilante group operates as part of the state’s security architecture, with funding from the Yobe State Government and operational coordination by the military.
He explained that Mohammed was arrested while allegedly carrying out reconnaissance duties for insurgents, including monitoring troop movements and vigilante positions across parts of Yobe State.
Abubakar said the suspect was profiled by troops and other security agencies before being transferred to the Theatre Command headquarters of Operation Hadin Kai in Maiduguri for further investigation.
He expressed confidence that ongoing interrogation would provide critical intelligence leading to the arrest of other members of the cell, including its leaders.
The security adviser also disclosed that the suspect allegedly confessed to planting another explosive device at a market in Maiduguri and alerted security agencies to immediately move in and defuse it.
Abubakar urged residents to continue supporting security agencies by providing timely and credible information to aid efforts to combat terrorism and other criminal activities.
