“I Was Paid ₦100,000 to Bomb Worshippers,” Maiduguri Mosque Suspect Confesses
A suspected Boko Haram operative, Ibrahim Mohammed, has confessed to participating in the bombing of the Gamboru Market Mosque in Maiduguri, Borno State, revealing that he was paid ₦100,000 for the attack.
Mohammed, who was arrested by troops of Operation Hadin Kai alongside local hunters in Yobe State, told investigators that he was recruited by Boko Haram commanders identified as Adamu and Abubakar and assigned to carry out attacks on places of worship. He admitted involvement in the December 24 bombing at the Gamboru Market Mosque, which left five people dead and 32 others injured.
According to security sources cited by counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, the suspect said he and an accomplice planted improvised explosive devices at the mosque at a time when worshippers were absent, with the intention that the devices would detonate during prayer. He further confessed that, after the explosion, he returned to the scene and pretended to assist in evacuating victims.
Mohammed, a native of Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, disclosed that suicide bombings and similar attacks had become paid assignments within Boko Haram’s network. He expressed regret over his role, admitting that innocent lives were lost as a result of his actions.
Investigations revealed that the suspect was part of a wider terror cell planning coordinated attacks across the North-East under factions linked to Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), Ansaru and the Islamic State-aligned JNIM. Security sources said a Boko Haram team, led by an explosives expert identified as Munzir Abu Ziyadah, had prepared multiple explosive devices at a camp in the region ahead of the attack.
Following the Gamboru incident, Mohammed reportedly relocated to Yobe State, where he was tasked with gathering intelligence on military formations and local vigilante groups. He was eventually arrested in Damaturu on December 29 during a raid on a suspected hideout after residents raised concerns about his movements.
During interrogation, the suspect confirmed his membership of the JAS faction operating around the Mandara Mountains and admitted accompanying the bomber involved in the Gamboru Market Mosque attack. Security agencies say investigations are ongoing to track other members of the network and prevent further attacks.