Christmas Day Bomb: Boko Haram Suspect Re-Arrested

Few hours to the deadline given to the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, on the whereabouts of the Boko Haram Christmas Day Bomb mastermind, Kabiru Sokoto, the suspect was  re-arrested at the Nigeria-Chad border in Borno State, yesterday.

However, there are serious doubts over the identity of the man the top hierarchy of the Nigeria Police Force claimed is the Boko Haram suspect, Kabiru Sokoto, who allegedly escaped while being led on a search of his house in Abaji area of the federal Capital Territory.

Informed sources within the police force said that the doubts emanated from the fact that contrary to laid down police procedures, the photograph of Sokoto was not taken on arrest.

The source said that until the time of Sokoto’s escape, no one deemed it fit to take his photograph for investigation purposes and for the library as is usually the case.

A source in the Force Headquarters expressed doubt and said, “How are we sure this is the Sokoto in question? Is it not possible that someone was just picked up in order to save the necks of those who allowed him escape?”

The source added: “if those of us in the headquarters could not identify Sokoto because his photograph is not available, how did those at the border (where he was arrested) recognise him?”

“Something is not just adding up in the whole of this.”

The Presidency had queried the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, over the escape of Sokoto, with a threat to relieve him of his job if the suspect was not found within 24 hours.

The Commissioner of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Zakari Biu, whose office was investigating the case, has been placed on suspension and house arrest.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade, had after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday said that heads would roll over the escape of Sokoto, who was said to have been freed by some youths who laid ambush for the investigating officers that were taking him to his house for a search.

Sokoto was arrested over the weekend in the Borno State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.

But by Monday evening, as first exclusively reported by The Eagle Online, he had escaped.

The National Security Adviser, General Andrew Owoeye Azazi, who was the first to be notified in the Presidency, was said to have told Ringim that Sokoto, suspected to have led the team that bombed the St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, must be found.

About 50 persons were killed in the blast that occurred on December 25, last year.

This happened a few hours after a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja granted bail to six persons suspected to be the brains behind the bombing of the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Suleja, Niger State.

Sixteen persons died in the bomb explosion for which the State Security Service arrested Shuaibu Abubakar, a.k.a Abu Quatada; Salisu Ahmed, Umar Babagana Umar, Mohammed Ali, Musa Adam and Umar Ibrahim.

They were granted bail in the sum of N2 million each by the presiding Judge, Justice Aliyu Bilikisu, with two sureties in like sum.

General Manager, Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation, Ms Medline Tador (left) inspecting vandalised generators at the coporation’s transmission station, Elelenwo in Port Harcourt.