A suspect, Ibrahim Mohammed, alleged to be involved in the December 24 bomb blast in Maiduguri Mosque, has been arrested by a vigilance group in Damaturu, Yobe State. 

Mr Mohammed was subsequently handed over to troops of Sector 2, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), Joint Task Force North-East.

Brig.-Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar (retd), the Special Adviser on Security Matters to Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, disclosed this in Damaturu on Wednesday.

The vigilance group is a component of the state security system, funded by the state government and controlled by the military operationally.

Mr Abubakar said the suspect was arrested by the group on December 29, when he was allegedly assigned by insurgents to spy on the deployments and locations of troops and vigilantes in Yobe.

He said the troops and sister agencies participated in profiling Mohammed before he was later transferred to the Theatre Command headquarters, OPHK, Maiduguri, in Borno State.

The official expressed optimism that after the interrogation, useful information would be obtained from the suspect for the possible arrest of his collaborators, including the leaders of his cell.

Mr Abubakar said the suspect also revealed that he earlier planted another bomb in a market in Maiduguri, urging the relevant security agencies to make efforts to defuse it.

He appealed to the citizens to always assist security operatives with credible information to fight crime.

“These criminals are not spirits or angels; they are human beings like us.
The vigilantes, because of their training, were able to pick him out. And that has paid off.

“That is why we are calling on the populace to continue to support the military and other security agencies so as to have peace in the state and country at large,” Mr Abubakar said.

(NAN)