Contrary to widespread belief that most of the bombings by the Boko Haram sect is carried out by suicide bombers, it has been revealed that the sect currently at the receiving end of military action in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states does not employ such tactic.

A source close to the leadership of the murderous sect, which has acquired notoriety for its mindless killings of innocent Nigerians in the northern part of the country, has disclosed that the group employs deceptive tactics in bombing of targets with its members sent on such assignments used as guinea pigs.

“Nigerians have been fooled for a long time into thinking that the sect carries out spectacular suicide bombings. That thinking is very far from the reality on ground and has been encouraged by reports in the media and as well by the circumstances surrounding some of the bombings carried out by the group,” our source said.

The source disclosed that Boko Haram, which has made parts of the north virtually ungovernable since it began its campaign in 2009, employs 419 tactics – a euphemism for deception. Hear him: “The truth is that even some of the bombers are sent to their death without them knowing so. What actually happens is that on such missions there is what you may call division of labour along the line. From the time a target is selected up till the execution of the assignment different individuals who are unknown to each other play the different roles assigned to them. For instance, on an assignment, one person acquires the vehicle, another person wires it with explosives and then another individual drives the vehicle to the place targeted for destruction.” The source said the final link in the chain is the individual who finally detonates the bomb. “You see, the whole thing is carefully planned and the drivers of the vehicles who are paid between N20,000 and N30,000 to drive the vehicle to the targeted for destruction, do not know they are driving to their death. Once they get to the assigned destination, they place a call indicating that they have arrived. Thereafter, the final link in the chain is activated. Upon receiving the call the man with the detonator carries out his mission and then the driver and the vehicle go up in explosion,” the source said.

The source said that the March 18 bomb blast at the Kano Luxury Bus Park lends credence to this. He recalled that eyewitnesses confirmed that shortly before the blast, which claimed dozens of lives, a white Volkswagen Golf car was seen parked in between two luxury buses filled with passengers and bound for the southern part of the country. Witnesses said one of the occupants of the vehicles was talking on phone when the bomb went off, blasting the vehicle and the luxury buses around it to pieces.

Our source pointed out that even the bombing of the Police Headquarters in Abuja in 2011 followed a similar pattern. In the case of the bombing of the United Nations office in Abuja, the extensive damage wrought on the facilities arose because the sect had somehow managed to breach security and had planted bombs within the building.

According to the source, the myth of Boko Haram engaging in suicide bombings has helped the sect maintain a larger than life image and to consolidate its power in the areas it had controlled until President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states last week Tuesday.

•Photo shows Boko Haram’s leaders.

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