SADOH MS' Blog: Boko Haram Attempted To Bomb Muslims In Maiduguri Mosque With Food Flasks Filled With Bombs

Thank God for this thwarted mission from patriotic Nigerians in maiduguri. Thousands of Muslims celebrating Eid-El-Maulud, which is the birthday of holy Prophet Muhammad, on Thursday 24th December, escaped what would have possibly been an all-time record calamity, had some gallantly eagle-eyed vigilante operatives not intercepted five food flasks filled with bombs outside a popular Maiduguri mosque.

Civilian JTF on inspection in Maiduguri

Five suspects believed to be members of Boko Haram loaded five big food flasks (otherwise known as coolers) on a hand-pushed cart and headed for Medinatu Mosque in the heart of Maiduguri, Borno State, where adherents of the Tijjaniya Islamic sect were marking the Maulud Nabiyi.

Fortunately, they were arrested before they got to their destination. The arrested bombers, according to witnesses, earlier claimed the giant food flasks contained hot rice cooked to be delivered to the celebrating Muslims as gifts.

Civilian JTF at a road block

Normally, during such occasions, which normally attracts thousands of Muslims from different parts of the country, and even from outside the country, to the popular Sheikh Abdulfathi Mosque located in Medinatu neighbourhood of Old Maiduguri, individuals usually make charity donations in form foods and other consumables to help make visitors comfortable. “When we saw them coming with hand push-cart filled with food flasks, we thought they were normal people that usually come here,” said Aminu Abdullahi, an operative of the Civillan JTF.

“We almost passed them on when one of our members instinctively asked what the content of the large food flasks were, and they said ‘hot rice to be delivered to the Sheik’s guests’. All of us were almost deceived but when we insisted on seeing the flasks opened for proper inspection, the conveyors became jittery, and by the time we forced them to open the flask we were shocked to find coupled bombs in all the flasks”.

Witnesses said the arrested culprits were all surrounded before they could escape and handed over to the soldiers in the neighbourhood.

The spokesman of the Borno State branch of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Muhammed Abba Gava, who confirmed the development said, “it was an act of God that those bombs were intercepted on time: we have over 5000 people converging in Abdulfathi Mosque and who knows what could have become of them had those bombs detonated”.

Security has recently been beefed up in most parts of Maiduguri ahead Christmas celebration on Friday.

Civilian JTF on a vigilante tour in Maiduguri

This case has turned another twist to the statement of the Minister of Information and Culture on Wednesday 23rd December that Boko Haram has been defeated. Even the words of President Buhari on Thursday 24th December, while wishing the Christian faithfuls merry Christmas and felicitations on the birth of Jesus Christ, also confirmed the total decimation of the insurgents thereby assuring Nigerians that truly, the gallant Nigerian military has met the December deadline. Now with this incidence of attempted mass bombings, one is forced to ask where those bombs conveyors emanated from. How could they have had the freedom to move freely without being detected by the military men until the interception by the Civilian JTF.

Now, what is still murky about the whole terrorism scenario is the hidden information about the leader of the Boko Haram insurgents. In spite of the claim by the minister that Boko Haram has been defeated, no one has been bold to tell Nigerians and the entire world the where-about of Shekau. Just like we have in the game of chess, the war is never won until the king is captured. So, if Nigerians and the entire world are really to be convinced that the insurgents are defeated, then the position of Shekau must be exposed to boost the confidence of both the citizens and the entire inhabitant in the Nigerian nation. What are we really to believe? Boko Haram defeated or the insurgents are now dispersed and at large? If truly they are defeated, we can scream hallelujah, but if they are at large, then we have to be extra alert and vigilant as they may later attack from any direction.

SADOH MS' BLOG

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