The bomber, 19 years old Abubakar Sadiq Umar told newsmen he was new in the group,noting that he was compelled by the Islamist sect to carry out the suicide mission.
“Two pick-up vans were set up for two separate suicide missions. I was deployed in Damaturu, while the other person headed to a destination I don’t know. Nobody told me where the other person was going. They only told me to go to Damaturu,” he said, while he was paraded before journalists.
Giving more insight into his mission, Umar said that he had a guide on his journey to Damaturu for the suicide mission. “I have never been to Damaturu not to talk of knowing the police station. Somebody who understood the road and knows the police station accompanied me. He was my guide on the mission and on reaching Damaturu, he pointed at the place (A Division) and asked me to press the remote to trigger off the bomb. We arrived in Damaturu together, but he later left me alone to carry out the task, I refused his order. I didn’t press any button,” he explained.
Umar said he refused to carry out the task because he was worried. “My worry is that why should I kill myself and other innocent people?” He stated. A police bomb expert from the. anti-bomb squad of the state police command, Mohammed Danladi, who noted that the explosive-laden van would have wreacked great havoc had the bomber succeeded in carrying out his heinous act.
Danladi, an inspector, explained that the capacity of the explosives revealed that a large consignment ever recovered from any terrorist since the commencement of the insurgency, adding that it would have been devastating and affected about 500 meter radius within the town, had the explosives exploded.
The state Commissioner of Police, Sanusi Rufai, said investigation has revealed that the bomber was recruited in Maiduguri four months ago and taken to the Sambisa forest where he was trained as a terrorist.
Rufai said the suspect has confessed coming to Damaturu to bomb the A division as well as kill innocent people in Damaturu central area. He also said the suspect was blindfolded from the point where he took off and was later unfolded on approaching Damaturu as he was then given the pick-up van to drive up to the destination.
“Though investigation is still continuing, he will, however, be handed over to the Joint Task Force (JTF) for further interrogation,” he disclosed.
