A female suicide bomber who was arrested in Maiduguri on Tuesday has narrated the series of events that saw her end up as a terrorist.
18-year-old Amina was reportedly intercepted by men of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, on Tuesday, and her partner Zainab was shot in the foot to prevent her from detonating the Improvised Explosive Device on her.
She told the News Agency of Nigeria that she was abducted alongside her family members two years ago by Boko Haram fighters in Madagali, Adamawa, and taken to Sambisa forest.
Amina also revealed that her father, mother and younger brother, Umar, were all killed when they tried to escape from the Boko Haram enclave where they were held hostage.
“I am from Imam Shekau’s faction of Boko Haram, even though I have never seen Shekau. But I hear about him in Gobarawa,” the teenager said.
“We (herself and her partner Zainab) came from Gobarawa along Damboa, Madagali and Algarno axis, in a community where a lot of us were held hostage and married off by the sect members.
“I also am married to a Boko Haram Commander known as “Amir”.
“It took us three days to come to Maiduguri on a motorcycle,” she said.
Amina also revealed that they had encountered soldiers on their way to Maiduguri “and they were shooting. I was very scared and the people that brought us ran away.”
When asked how much they were paid to carry out the attack, Amina replied that “they gave us N200 each which they said we should use to buy food for ourselves.”
She further said: “We were directed by the sect members to detonate our explosives anywhere we saw any form of gathering.
“They said if we press the button, the bomb would explode and we will automatically go to heaven.
“I was scared, so, I told them that I could not detonate any explosive. So, they said if Zainab detonated her own, it would serve the purpose.”
The Borno State Commandant of the NSCDC, Abdullahi Ibrahim, said that the suspect has been handed over to the Garrison Commander, 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, “for proper investigation.”
Confirming the development, Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Lucky Irabor, confirmed that the suspect was in custody of the Army.
“We are going to profile her as she would give us the lead to get to other insurgents,” Irabor said.
NAN reported earlier personnel of the corps “intercepted two female suicide bombers who were targeting motorists on the long queue at the NNPC mega petrol station at about 6.45 a.m.”
“One of the bombers got scared and threw away her bomb and was instantly arrested, while the other one began to run after people with her explosive but luckily, she was shot on the leg by our personnel after he chased her to a safe place,” the commandant said.
The Borno State Police command had in a separate statement by its PRO Victor Isuku said that “two female suicide bombers about 18 years old, were sighted behind Mega filling station in Molai area, while attempting to infiltrate Maiduguri town.”
“They were intercepted by security personnel on duty. One was arrested and the other one was shot dead,” Isuku stated, adding that “EOD personnel were quickly drafted to the scene and rendered the area safe.”