Police fault Army over suicide bomber arrest claim in Borno

The Borno State Police Command has described as misinformation reports claiming that the Nigerian Army arrested a suspected suicide bomber in the state, insisting that the operation was carried out by the police and that no active improvised explosive device was recovered.

Recall that on Tuesday night, PUNCH Online reported that troops of Operation Hadin Kai arrested a suspected suicide bomber, identified as Abubakar Mustapha, in Borno State.

The Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, North-East Operation Hadin Kai, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday.

According to him, the suspect was arrested on Monday by troops of the 152 Task Force Battalion, in collaboration with other security agencies, in Bama Local Government Area of the state.

The statement read in part: “The Joint Task Force North East (JTF NE), Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), has recorded a significant operational success with the arrest of a suspected suicide bomber and the interception of materials intended for the manufacture of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Borno State.”

Uba said the arrest followed sustained joint operations and credible intelligence aimed at securing Banki town in Bama Local Government Area.

“At about 5:40 pm on Monday, December 29, 2025, personnel deployed at the Banki Central Mosque apprehended a suspected suicide bomber identified as Abubakar Mustapha,” he said.

He added that the suspect was allegedly found in possession of materials believed to be components of a primed IED, indicating an imminent intent to carry out an attack.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect hails from Bama Local Government Area and was further discovered to be in possession of additional incriminating materials linked to terrorist activities.

“He is currently undergoing detailed interrogation to establish his sponsors, collaborators and possible links with terrorist networks operating within the area,” Uba stated.

He further assured all that troops of JTF NE OPHK continue to dominate their areas of responsibility through aggressive patrols, intelligence-led operations and sustained presence to deny JAS/ISWAP terrorists freedom of action and prevent attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure.

However, reacting to the development on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, told PUNCH Online in a telephone interview that the suspect was arrested by the police and is currently in police custody.

“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 declared.

The PPRO also issued a statement in the early hours of Wednesday, warning members of the public against the spread of misinformation.

“The Borno State Police Command has observed with concern the circulation of social media videos alleging the recovery of improvised explosive device (IED) components in Banki, Bama Local Government Area of Borno State,” the statement read.

“To set the record straight, on December 29, 2025, at about 6:10 pm, operatives of the command, while on surveillance around a mosque in Banki LGA, accosted one Abubakar in possession of a bag containing electrical wires, old mobile phone batteries, assorted gadget scrap materials and pairs of shoes,” he added.

According to the police, preliminary investigations indicated that the items recovered showed “no active IED fabrication or priming.”

“The case has been transferred to the State Command Headquarters for comprehensive investigation. The suspect is currently in custody, while investigations are ongoing to ascertain the circumstances and intent surrounding possession of the items,” Daso added.

He cautioned members of the public against spreading unverified information capable of causing fear or panic and urged reliance on credible and official sources for accurate information.(Punch)