Borno Police Dispute Army’s Claim on Suicide Bomber Arrest
The Borno State Police Command has publicly challenged a statement by the Nigerian Army claiming it arrested a suspected suicide bomber and seized explosive‑making materials in Borno State, saying the operation was in fact conducted by police and no active explosives were found.
The controversy began after the Joint Task Force North‑East (Operation Hadin Kai), led by the Army’s 152 Task Force Battalion, announced that troops had arrested a suspected bomber, Abubakar Mustapha, around Banki Central Mosque in Bama Local Government Area and recovered items believed to be components for improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The military statement described the operation as a significant success in combating insurgent threats.
However, the Borno police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Daso, told PUNCH Online that the suspect was actually detained by police operatives conducting surveillance in the area, not by Army troops. He said officers intercepted Mustapha with a bag containing electrical wires, old mobile phone batteries and assorted scrap items, which preliminary police investigations show do not constitute active IED materials.
“The same suspect shown in the pictures released by the Army is with us,” Daso stated, adding that the police have interviewed the man and that the case has been moved to the State Command Headquarters for further investigation.
The police also cautioned against spreading unverified information that could cause unnecessary panic among the public and urged Nigerians to rely only on official updates from credible sources.
The Army’s original assertion came amid ongoing counter‑terrorism operations in Borno aimed at dismantling networks and preventing attacks, especially following recent violent incidents in the region.