“Suspect Admits Bombing Maiduguri Mosque, Says He Was Sent to Spy on Soldiers”
A suspect identified as Ibrahim Muhammed has been arrested in Damaturu, Yobe State, after allegedly confessing to his role in a deadly bomb attack on a mosque in Maiduguri, Borno State.
In a video currently in circulation, the suspect, who spoke in Hausa, claimed that he and other members of the Boko Haram terrorist group planted two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at a mosque near the Kalumari area of Maiduguri, resulting in an explosion that killed worshippers.
Introducing himself in the video, Muhammed said he is from Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State and disclosed that he came to Maiduguri on a mission to gather intelligence.
“My name is Ibrahim Muhammed. I am from Michika, Michika by tribe. I came to this town to spy,” he said.
The suspect alleged that the explosives were supplied by his group leaders, whom he identified as Adam and Abubakar, said to be operating around the Beki-Duse and Mubi axis of Adamawa State. According to him, the leaders selected the target and ordered the attack.
“Our leader was the one who gave us the bomb to plant. They were the ones that prescribed the mosque to bomb. The mosque was newly built and occupied by Izala,” he claimed.
When asked about his presence in Damaturu, the suspect said he was deployed on a reconnaissance mission to monitor security activities.
“I was sent to spy on soldiers and local vigilantes, gather information and return to Maiduguri,” he stated.
Muhammed narrated that he arrived in Damaturu the previous evening and was searching for a place to sleep when he encountered local residents. He said that he and others were later chased away by a man wielding a stick, forcing them to flee.
According to him, members of a local vigilante group later confronted them, instructed them to return to pack their belongings, and subsequently apprehended them as they were preparing to leave the area.
The suspect further alleged that another explosive device had been planted in the Tashan Joni area of Maiduguri, raising fresh security concerns.
As of the time of filing this report, security authorities have yet to officially confirm the arrest or verify the claims made in the video. However, the development comes amid renewed fears of insurgent infiltration and attacks in parts of the North-East.
Meanwhile, Naija News House had earlier reported that five people were killed and over 30 others injured following an explosion at a mosque within Gamboru Market, Maiduguri, on December 24, 2025.
Confirming the incident in a press release, the Borno State Police Command said it received a report of an IED explosion at about 6:00 p.m. at Al-Adum Juma’at Mosque during prayers.
The statement, signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, said the affected area was immediately cordoned off to ensure public safety and facilitate emergency operations.
According to the police, five persons lost their lives, while 35 others sustained varying degrees of injuries. The injured victims were evacuated to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) and the State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri, for treatment.
The police added that preliminary findings suggest the attack may have been a suicide bombing, citing the recovery of fragments believed to be from a suicide vest and eyewitness accounts. Investigations are ongoing, while the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit continues sweeping operations to rule out the presence of secondary devices.
