The Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), has arrested a suspected suicide bomber and recovered materials used in making improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Bama Local Council of Borno State.
The arrest followed sustained joint operations based on credible intelligence by troops of the 152 Task Force Battalion, working with other security agencies to secure Banki and four other border communities with Cameroon.
The OPHK Media Information Officer, Lt Col Sani Uba, disclosed this in a statement released yesterday in Maiduguri.
He said the suspect was apprehended at about 5:40 p.m. on Monday, December 29, 2025, by personnel stationed at the Banki Central Mosque.
According to him, the suspect, identified as Abubakar Mustapha, was found in possession of primed IED components, indicating an imminent plan to attack the border communities of Banki, Kumshe, Darajamal and Kirawa in Gwoza Local Council.
Uba said preliminary investigations revealed that Mustapha hails from Bama Local Council and was also found with additional incriminating materials linked to terrorist activities in border communities with Cameroon.
He added that the suspect is currently undergoing detailed interrogation to establish his sponsors, collaborators and possible links with terrorist networks operating in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
In a related development, troops deployed along the Cameroon–Nigeria border intercepted a Peugeot vehicle conveying six bags of urea fertiliser, a critical component commonly used in the production of IEDs.
The car and fertiliser, Uba said, are in military custody.
Further intelligence exploitation led to the arrest of the fertiliser dealer and the recovery of an additional six bags of urea fertiliser, bringing the total seized to 12 bags. All suspects and recovered items remain in military custody for further investigation and necessary legal action.
Uba said the ongoing counter-terrorism operations are aimed at denying Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province the freedom of action in the Lake Chad region and the Sambisa Forest, spanning three states. He added that troop morale and fighting efficiency remain high as operations continue to restore lasting peace and security in the North-East.
