Before I begin my discourse
on the modus operandi used by suicide bombers to carry out their operations, it
is very important to make a clear distinction between suicide bomb attacks and
other forms of terrorist attacks that are devoid of suicidal elements.
As a matter of fact,
suicide bombing is just one of the several methods used by terrorists in
carrying out their attacks. While virtually all suicide attacks are terror
attacks, not all terror attacks are suicidal in nature. A suicide attack is an
offensive operation which its success depends largely upon the death of the
perpetrator in order to kill innocent persons and destroy property.
The modus operandi and
weapons used depend largely on the nature of the target, access to the target,
security arrangements around the target, the amount of destruction and
publicity which the terrorist intends to accomplish.
As earlier stated, suicide
attack has continued to be a choice method of attack by both large and small
terror organizations. Its cost-effectiveness, lethality, ability to cause
confusion as well as the tremendous amount of publicity and fears it generates
clearly make it appealing to the average terrorist.
Below are some of the
methods used by suicide bombers to execute their criminal and despicable acts:
A lone suicide bomber may
attach an explosive to his body: Preventing such a person
from having access into the vicinity of a target location is extremely
difficult. Even if he is detected, safe arrest and defusing the explosives
successfully are extremely difficult. However, the impact of such explosives is
usually not as destructive as those used in other methods that will be
discussed later.
You may need to know that
sometimes, a suicide bomber is escorted by his ‘mentor’ up to the point where
he will carry out the attack before leaving the bomber alone. The purpose of
this is to direct and encourage the attacker particularly when his mentor is
not sure whether the attacker will eventually change his mind if not thoroughly
supervised. It is indeed puzzling why a young man should accept to carry out a
suicide attack when his mentor himself is not willing to do so. Sponsors and
mentors of suicide attacks mostly use other people’s children and hirelings
instead of their own children.
In the case of a
timed-bomb, sometimes, it detonates before the attacker gets to the target
area. Recall the 2012 case of a 14–yearold boy in Maiduguri who attached
timed-explosive around his body and wore a jacket to cover it. While trying to
gain access to where the Shehu of Borno and other high personalities were at a
religious gathering, the bomb went off, killing five persons including the
Policeman who was preventing him from having access to the venue.
Suicide bomber may conceal
explosives inside the booth of his vehicle. A
good case of this is the recent discovery at Damaturu of a bomber who, having
loaded his vehicle with explosives, decided to cover it with animal feeds. He
was however arrested by vigilant police officers on duty before he got to his
target. A suicide bomber will use his vehicle heavily loaded with explosives to
cause serious damage by forcefully driving as if his vehicle’s brake system had
failed just to get to his target location. Another good example of this
particular method was used during the Force Headquarters attack, This Day
Newspaper attack, the UN building attack and the infamous attack on Madala
Catholic Church, among others.
Some of these bombs are
constructed in such a way that any attempt by the suicide bomber to come out of
the car, will cause detonation before he gets to his target area. This explains
why he will never respond to any authoritative voice or instruction from any
security agents. Yet, others are controlled by the suicide bomber himself and
sometimes not timed but can be manipulated with the use of remote control devices.
These days, terrorists are
increasingly targeting Airlines. The 9/11 attack and the failed attack on the
US-bound Airline by AbdulMutalab exemplify this trend.
Suicide bomber may also
carry an explosive device concealed in a receptacle- bag, briefcase, box, suitcase or similar container that fits the target
environment to be detonated at the target vicinity. A good example of this
method was used at a drinking bar in Wulari market, Maiduguri, where a
bomb concealed in a small food-flask was given to a boy of less than 8
years-old to drop at a joint where customers were in large numbers. The boy
might not have accepted to be a suicide bomber but he also died in the process!
In all these situations,
experience has shown that it is not the mere sound from the explosion of the
bomb that actually kills but the destructive and injurious effects resulting
from the mixture of metallic objects such as shrapnel, projectiles,
nails, fuel and other dangerous substances in the explosives. That is why the
farther one stays away from the explosion scene, the safer one may be,
vice-versa.
Frank Mba: Is The PPRO of the Nigerian Police