Confusion trailed security operations in Borno after the state police command openly challenged reports crediting the Nigerian Army with the arrest of a suspected suicide bomber, describing the narrative as inaccurate and misleading.
According to the police, the suspect at the centre of the reports was arrested solely by police operatives, not military personnel, and no live or primed improvised explosive device was found during the operation.
The controversy followed widespread reports suggesting that troops of Operation Hadin Kai apprehended a suspect identified as Abubakar Mustapha during a counterterrorism operation in the state.
The reports also claimed that materials linked to bomb-making were recovered, raising public alarm.
However, reacting on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer in Borno, ASP Nahum Daso, said the operation was conducted by police officers on routine surveillance duties.
He explained that the suspect was intercepted near a mosque and immediately taken into police custody.
“The individual paraded in those images has been with us since the arrest. I personally questioned him, and the items recovered do not qualify as an IED,” Daso said, stressing that the incident was misrepresented online.
Furthermore, the police clarified that the recovered items included electrical wires, used phone batteries, scrap gadgets and footwear, adding that none of the materials showed signs of active bomb assembly or preparation.
In a statement issued by the command, police authorities warned that circulating videos and claims suggesting an imminent suicide attack were capable of causing unnecessary panic among residents already living under security pressure.
“To avoid public fear, it is important to state clearly that no explosive device was recovered and no active threat was detected at the scene,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the suspect has since been transferred to the state command headquarters for a broader investigation to determine the purpose behind the possession of the items and any possible links to criminal activity.
The police urged residents and media platforms to rely on verified information from official security channels, noting that unconfirmed reports could undermine public confidence and ongoing security efforts in the region.
Borno remains one of Nigeria’s most security-sensitive states, making accurate reporting and coordinated communication among security agencies critical to maintaining calm and trust among the population.