Troops in north-eastern Nigeria say they have thwarted a potential terror attack after arresting a suspected suicide bomber at a mosque in Borno State.
The suspect, identified as Abubakar Mustapha, was apprehended on Monday evening at the Banki Central Mosque in the Bama local government area, near the border with Cameroon.
Military officials said the man was found in possession of “primed” components for an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), suggesting an attack was imminent.
Border gate interception
The arrest was part of a wider security operation by the Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, which also led to the seizure of chemical materials used to manufacture explosives.
In a separate incident at the Cameroon-Nigeria border, troops intercepted a vehicle carrying bags of urea fertiliser—a controlled substance in the region because of its use as a key ingredient in homemade bombs.
A spokesperson for the task force, Lt Col Sani Uba, said the discovery led to the arrest of a suspected supplier and the recovery of more fertiliser, bringing the total seized to 12 bags.
A region on high alert
The arrests come at a time of heightened security in Borno, the heart of a long-running insurgency by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Last week, five people were killed and dozens injured when a suicide bomber targeted worshippers at a mosque in the state capital, Maiduguri, during evening prayers.
“The suspect is currently undergoing detailed interrogation to establish his sponsors and possible links with terrorist networks,” Lt Col Uba said in a statement on Tuesday.
Military ‘dominance’
The military said it has increased “aggressive patrols” and intelligence-led operations to deny militants freedom of movement during the festive period.
While the Nigerian army has retaken significant territory from insurgents in recent years, “soft targets” such as mosques, markets, and displacement camps remain vulnerable to suicide attacks and IEDs.
Officials have urged the public to remain vigilant and provide timely information to security agencies as they attempt to secure the volatile border region.
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