JANUARY 21, 2012 BY NIYI ODEBODE AND FIDELIS SORIWEI 5 COMMENTS
The escape of top Boko Haram suspect, Kabir Sokoto, has ignited the race for the successor of the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Hafiz Ringim.

SATURDAY PUNCH investigations on Friday in Abuja showed that officers from the core North (North-East and North-West), the Middle Belt were in the race to produce the next IG.

It was learnt that senior officers from the zones had started discreet moves for the coveted post.

Investigations also showed that the Federal Government had started screening deputy inspectors-general of police and assistant inspectors-general of police in a bid to find Ringim’s successor.

The discreet screening, it was gathered, was informed by a statement by President Goodluck Jonathan on January 8, when he said that the militant Islamic sect had infiltrated his government and the security agencies.

Light is being beamed on the records of the senior police officers and roles they have played in the force in the past.

Ringim is expected to retire from the force in March, when he would have completed his 35 years in service.

Investigations showed that although Jonathan was determined to sack the IG before March, some key figures, including prominent traditional rulers and politicians in the North, had been pleading on his behalf.

They want Ringim to end his tenure in March rather than being showed the way out before then.

A top official in the Presidency told SATURDAY PUNCH that those who intervened in Ringim’s case said that he should be allowed to stay till March, which is less than three months from now.

The Presidency official said, “Some people, including traditional rulers and politicians, have been pleading for the IG because the President is not happy with him.

“Those who are pleading for Ringim are saying that since he is going in March, there is no point in sacking him before then.”

The Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade, had hinted on Wednesday after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting that Ringim could be sacked over the escape of Sokoto, who was accused of masterminding the bombing of the St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, where 43 people were killed on Christmas Day.

Olubolade had in an interview with State House correspondents in Abuja after the meeting, said, “If he (the IG) is found to be complicit, he himself would have to account for his mistakes.”

Investigations showed that Ringim’s predicament had made those who were eyeing his post to intensify lobbying the people they considered close to Jonathan.

However, it was learnt that the President was also under pressure to pick the next IG from the South.

Those who are calling for a southern IG cited former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who picked all his police bosses from the South-West.

But the President has so far resisted the pressure as he was said to have retained the IG slot in favour of the North.

Investigations, however, showed that Jonathan had not made up his mind on which part of the North would produce the next IG.

SATURDAY PUNCH learnt that because of the feelers coming from the Presidency, many top police officers from the core North and the Middle Belt had been making moves to succeed Ringim.

The Presidency source, who said some personalities pleaded on behalf of Ringim, said, “The race for the new IG is going to divide the North further. From all indications, the next police boss will either be a Hausa/Fulani from the core North or a Northern minority.”

Currently, there are five DIGs, but the President can pick an AIG as the next IG, an action that would lead to the retirement of all the officers senior in rank to him.

The DIGs include Mrs. Ivy Okoronkwo, Mr. Azubuko Udah (both representing the South-East geo-political zone); Alhaji Sadauna Abubakar (North-West zone); Audu Abubakar (North-East); Mohammed Yesufu (South-South); and Saleh Abubakar (North-Central).

The current IG was an AIG when he was appointed on September 10, 2010 by Jonathan.

The source said that if Jonathan yielded to pressure on taking the IG slot to the South, Okoronkwo, who is the most senior DIG, could be the next police boss.

He, however, said that Jonathan would be guided by factors such as the ethnic composition of the present security team and the security situation in the country.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, is from the South-West; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Umar, is from the North-West; and the Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika, hails from the South-East.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ola Saheed, is from the North-Central; the Director-General of the State Security Service, Ita Ekpeyong, is from the South-South, while Ringim is from the North-West.

Besides Ringim and Umar in non-security posts, Vice-President Namadi Sambo and the Speaker of the House of Representatives are from the North-West.

It was learnt that more importantly, the decision of Jonathan on who becomes the next IG would be informed by the security situation in the country.

A top security officer, who pleaded anonymity, said, “The President will go for a person, who will work with the security team to tackle the Boko Haram menace. He won’t go for someone with a religious fervour, neither will he go for anybody who is not detribalised.”

Investigations showed that the FG was determined to ensure that for the next IG, DIGs and AIGs were well screened.

The security officer said, “Because of what happened to the Commissioner of Police, Zakari Biu, we will dig into the past of any officer that will be saddled with terrorism assignment.”

Biu, who was in charge of Sokoto’s case, was suspended over the escape of the suspect from police custody.

Sokoto was arrested last Saturday at the Borno State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja. He escaped in questionable circumstances on Monday in Abaji when his minders were allegedly taking him home to search his residence.

The escape was said to have further confirmed the concerns in security circles that fifth column might have been aiding Boko Haram operations in Nigeria.

Security sources aver that the precision and the sophistication with which the sect had carried out its killings and bombings in the country were a pointer to this.

Such security sources wonder why the Boko Haram suspect, Sokoto, who escaped from police custody in a most comical manner, was arrested with a commissioned officer of the Nigerian Air Force (a flight lieutenant).

Shortly before the declaration by Jonathan that the Boko Haram had infiltrated his government, PUNCH investigations had shown that issues relating to the deadly Islamic sect were discussed sparingly at the weekly Federal Executive Council meetings.

A source said that mistrust and growing doubts among members of the cabinet were preventing them from expressing frank opinions on how to combat the Boko Haram menace.

The source said that suspicion that some of the members of the cabinet could be members of the sect was making ministers to keep mum about the issue. A serving senator, Ali Ndume, from Borno State, was arrested last year in connection with the activities of the sect.

The senator, who was arrested by the operatives of the State Security Service as a result of the confession by a member of the sect, Umar Konduga, is facing trial for sponsoring terrorism.

The President had said on January 8 that the dreaded Boko Haram members had infiltrated every segment of the society, including his cabinet.

The President’s comments, which shocked the country, have called attention to the instances of escape of Boko Haram members from detention.

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