Wanted ‘Potential’ Child Suicide Bomber Arrested In IDP Camp

Wanted ‘Potential’ Child Suicide Bomber Arrested In IDP Camp

Adulkareem Haruna

—Leadership Newspaper  Dec 3, 2015 2:54 am |  

The youngest face on the photograph of 100-wanted Boko Haram suspect, Master Usman Modu Tella, 11 years old, was yesterday arrested by soldiers in one of the camps for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Maiduguri, Borno State, army authority has said.

 young boy, who said he was in the camp to carry out suicide at attack at a future date, told those who apprehended him that some Boko Haram bomb experts had trained him and three other kids.

According to him, three of his trained colleagues had since been killed in the various suicide attacks they were sent to carry out.

Young Usman, who said he came from Bama town, was picked from among other kids at the Dalori IDP camp in Maiduguri.

His face was featured in the photograph of 100-wanted Boko Haram suspects published in October this year by the Department of Army Public Relations. He was named as suspect number ‘82’.

According to a statement issued by Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, the child said he was sneaked into the camp as a displaced child to familiarise with the people and wait for the day he would be prompted to carry his own suicide attack inside the camp.

The statement reads in part “Vigilant troops of 7 Division Garrison providing security at IDP Camp, Dalori in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Borno State yesterday afternoon apprehended an 11- year -old boy, Master Usman Modu Tella a potential suicide bomber”.

“He is suspect number 82 on the poster containing the photographs of 100 wanted suspected Boko Haram terrorists released by the Nigerian Army. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect was from Bama town and is among four other children trained for suicide bombing by the Boko Haram terrorists. He further added that the three others have already carried out their missions at different locations. His job was to do same in the camp sometime in the future. The boy also pointed out one other Boko Haram senior member, Alhaji Kerewu Abubakar at the camp.