CHAIRMAN, Senate Committee on Poice Affairs, Senator Paulinus Nwagu, on Tuesday, presented the report of the investigative committee to the Senate, giving a blow by blow account of how Boko Haram kingpin, Kabiru Sokoto, disappeared from police custody.

Sokoto, initially arrested on January 14, had dramatically escaped from police custody within 24 hours of arrest, while police investigators were taking him to Abaji, a suburb of Abuja, to search his house.

Worried by the disappearance of the suspect, the Senate charged its committee on Police Affairs to probe the circumstances surrounding his escape.

Nwagu said the findings of the committee were based on interactions with the National Security Adviser (NSA); Minister of Police Affairs; chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Inspector General of Police.

According to him, “police intelligence revealed that prior to his arrest on January 14, Kabiru Sokoto had been in the check list of Boko Haram members.

Sokoto was reported to have been noticed within the vicinity of Snake Island, Lagos and left Lagos sometime on December 13, 2011, while he disappeared from surveillance monitoring until January 11, 2012. He was later traced to Abaji in the Federal Capital Territory.

“Police detectives traced him from Abaji to Abuja on the same date and further traced him to Asokoro- Abuja, where he was finally apprehended at about 2.40 a.m on January 14, at the Borno State Governor’s Lodge, at Iro Dan Musa Street, Asokoro, Abuja.

“The arrest was conducted by a combined team of police officers and men comprising operatives from the Force Analytical Tracking and Intelligence Centre, as well as Combat Teams from the Police Mobile Force totaling 58 officers and men.

“On arrival at the residence of the suspect at Bulletin Quarters, Abaji, the team met one Adamu Salihu, son of the Onah of Abaji, in the FCT who was a neighbour of the suspect.

“Salihu, who was later discovered to be a close associate of Kabiru Sokoto, as well as a suspected member of Boko Haram, suddenly went into his room, came out with a copy of the Qur’an, recited Quranic verses and with a loud shout of Allahu-Akbar, mobilised nearby youths who attacked the police with hard objects and forcibly took over the suspect whom they whisked away to an undisclosed location.

 “Immediate efforts to recover the suspect indicated that the duo of one Jibrin Aliyu alias Kaska and one Abdullahi Sidi alias Bamanga had informed one Mohammed Gambo that the principal suspect was with Jibrin Aliyu,” the report said.

The Senate, thereafter, adopted two of the seven recommendations. The recommendations urged members of the public to assist the security agencies by providing relevant information.

It also accepted the recommendation that Zakari Biu and others involved in the escape of Kabiru Sokoto have their prosecution expedited, to serve as a deterrent to other security operatives.

However, the senators rejected the recommendation that the office of the Coordinator on Counter-Terrorism established in the National Security Advisers’ office should be strengthened through Legislative Act.

They also rejected the recommendation for the establishment of a joint border patrol to include the Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces, Immigration Service, Customs Service, State Security Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, to check the challenges of the countries porous borders.

Comments (10)

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Senate report on Kabiru Sokoto
written by Abdulrazak, February 22, 2012

I like to urge the senate to reconsider one of the recommendations rejected. The elaborated collaboration among our forces is a unique solution to our security challenges as no single agency can act all alone. The porousity of our boarders is the mainstream of our security lapses. Let us fortify our boarders with a combined team of all our security agencies for effective monitoring and patrol which as we all know, Nigerian Immegration can not do it all alone. God save Nigeria.

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written by winnie, February 22, 2012

It's appalling that something as important as a joint border patrol was viewed as unnecessary to check our porous borders. I wonder if the same senators would reject that recommendation if their homes and livelihoods were as threatened as those of the general populace.

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RIDICULOUS.
written by Jacobson bright, February 22, 2012

This is to say the least,the joke of the century.How on earth can ordinary civilians without arms over power police men with arms,by using hard objects.What were the hard objects?The same police that go about killing and maiming innocent citizens at any slight misunderstanding,couldn`t handle a situation like that.A suspect like boko haram kinpin was taken to his hideout without adequate preparation.Police will never stop to make me laugh.nigerians are wiser,so they should come up with more logical coverup,not this nursery school joke.

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Re: How Kabiru Sokoto escaped from custody
written by Chetam Obilo, February 22, 2012

How come the Police know how to shoot when they see harmless Massob boys singing Biafra songs and doing march past in the streets in Onitsha? But imagine 58 police officers are scared to death by a son of the Onah of Abaji who recites the Quaran, shouts Allahu Akbar and mobilizes youths. Immediately Police capitulate and let Kabiru Sokoto go free. This is typical Nigerian Tales by Moonlight.
This country's notion of different laws for different ethnic groups will spell its doom eventually.
Injustice will never triumph!

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written by HOLYBAD, February 22, 2012

IMAGINE POLICE THAT KILLS BUS DRIVERS FOR N20,WERE SAYING THAT THE ATTACK ON THEM WAS WITH HARD OBJECTS AND THEN THE SUSPECT FREED! THE WORLD SHOULD KNOW THAT NIGERIAN POLICE IS TO BE ATTACK WITH SOFT OBJECTS,BUT WHO TAUGHT THEM THIS?

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Boko haram the issue
written by Chuta sarah, February 22, 2012

Pls,why are those ministers helping boko haram still on seat?why is it dat mr president has refused to let us knw the ministers and senators behind this bombing.

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written by elmonds, February 22, 2012

It's absolutely ridiculous that suck cock and bull stry could be fabricated and sucked to the Nigerian ppeople. 1st, you are trailing a well known terrorist from Lagos traversing several states along the line down to Abuja. He was a hit man and on a red alert wanted list of the federal govt for murder, treason and arson . You only saw a civilian neighbour of his who was not armed but only shouted and took away the target you've been trailing from lagos. Listen, all of you need to be shot dead for this stupid lies and insult, and all your assets confiscated to make up for the huge expences incured in this fanthom exercise. And the police boss needs to be fired on this issue. This Nigrian system amazes me to the point of distress. So, what next? set up enquiry for this national mess at whose expence?

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Mr
written by Gabriel Ojo, February 22, 2012

Iexpect our esteemed legislators to know more than could be fooled by people desperate to cover their ass. when would Nigeria stop to be laughed at by the international community? That surely is a job poorly done.

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HABIRU SOKOTO ESCAPE FROM POLICE CUSTODY
written by BARRY A, February 23, 2012

The Sanate committee on Police affairs has again prove that they not a serious bunch of a group. Their report on this issue has no substance. With this kind of report it is hard to believe that they are not protecting one of thier own.

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Ridiculous
written by Caleb Khalil , February 23, 2012

Is this type of report we publish for the whole world to see? For how long would our leaders continue deceiving us? May God help us. Amen.

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