Ibrahim Mohammed, a suspected Boko Haram operative, has revealed that he was paid about N100,000 to execute the Christmas Eve mosque bombing in Maiduguri, Borno state.
The blast at Gamboru market killed five worshippers and left 32 others injured after a suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) inside the mosque.
Mohammed, one of two suspects arrested by army troops in connection with the explosion, said he was sent by his commanders, whom he identified as Adamu and Abubakar.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counterinsurgency platform, Mohammed said the operation was directed by Boko Haram leaders operating between Adamawa state and the Mandara mountains.
“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.
After the bombing, Mohammed returned to the scene, posing as a first responder to assist in evacuating the dead and injured.
“When I returned to the mosque, they were evacuating dead bodies. I helped them convey the corpses and injured people in emergency vehicles,” he said.
The suspect added that he later moved to Yobe state for other assignments, disclosing that he was paid between N70,000 and N100,000 for each mission he executed.
“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.
“I was paid money ranging from N70,000 to N100,000 per mission.”
Mohammed said he was part of a larger terror cell responsible for multiple attacks across the north-east, linked to factions of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), Ansaru, and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).
He was arrested on Monday in Damaturu by local hunters working with Operation Hadin Kai during a raid on a suspected hideout.
Security sources said Mohammed’s unusual presence among a group of Almajiri pupils raised suspicion, leading to his arrest and subsequent interrogation.
The suspect also disclosed plans to attack the new Izala Mosque near Tashan Joni, but the operation was aborted due to heightened security in the area.