The timely intervention by members of the youth vigilante group popularly known as Civilian JTF prevented what could have been the worst bomb attack in the country, as five suspected Boko Haram members were on Thursday arrested with five food flasks laden with explosive devices destined for a popular mosque in Borno State where thousands of Muslims celebrated Maulud, the birth of the Holy Prophet, Premium Times has reported.

But for a curious member of the vigilante group, the handcart-driven containers would have made it to their destination, as some of the youths appeared satisfied with the suspects’ explanation that they were delivering food to worshippers at the popular Sheikh Abdulfathi mosque.

“When we saw them coming with handpush-cart filled with food flasks, we thought they were normal people that usually come here,” Premium Times quoted a member of the Civilian JTF, Aminu Abdullahi as saying.

“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.”

A spokesperson for the vigilante group also confirmed the incident to the newspaper and described the interception as an act of God.

“We have over 5000 people converging in Abdulfathi’s mosque and who knows what could have become of them had those bombs detonated,” Muhammed Abba Gaya, said.