News

By Henry Umoru & Inalegwu Shaibu

ABUJA—Senate, yesterday, gave an insight into how Kabiru Umar alias Kabiru Sokoto, alleged mastermind of the Christmas day bombing of St Theresa’s Catholic Church, Mandalla, Niger State, escaped from police custody.

Submitting the report of Senate Committee on Police Affairs to the Senate yesterday, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Igwe Nwaga told the Senate that the committee discovered that the escape of Sokoto was made possible due to the mob action spearheaded against the police team by Adamu Salihu (son of the Onah of Abajiland), Abdulahi Sidi alias Bamanga or Abdulahi Sahabi.

Meanwhile, Senate has rejected a proposal by a Senate Committee for the establishment of special courts to handle the trials of suspected terrorists within the country, just as security operatives were asked to brace up for the unending security challenges in the land.

These were some of the recommendations contained in the report of the Senator Paulinus Nwagu-led committee on Police Affairs on the activities of Boko Haram and escape from Police Custody of Sokoto, a high profile member of the sect.

Nwagu said after the mob action, the said Sahabi conspired and moved the principal suspect from Abaji to a village called Nuku, about seven kilometres from Abaji and handed him over to one Dauda who provided the suspect with shelter and feeding in an uncompleted building.

He further said that when the police was informed that the suspect was in Nuku, the detective travelled to Nuku Village and the farmland in Gwaragwada, Yawuti in search of the suspect to no avail.

The team moved to a village called Achabo in Kogi State and Toto, Gadabuike, Lokorgoma and Nassarawa Toto in Nassarawa State, in search of the fleeing principal suspect, adding that it was Salihu who mobilised Abaji youths to attack the policemen who visited Sokoto’s residence.

During discussions on the report, Senators called for an expedited prosecution of Mr. Zakari Biu over his role in aiding the escape of Sokoto from police custody.

The Senators, during plenary chaired by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, averred that the speedy trial of Mr. Biu will serve as deterrent to other security operatives from playing with their jobs in future.

The report read in part: “Zakari Biu and those involved in the escape of Kabiru Sokoto should have their prosecution expedited to serve as a deterrent to other security operatives.”

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Paulinus Igwe, while presenting the report had noted that terrorism had become rampant in the country due to economic and political failures.

He said: “Boko Haram is not a sectional problem as they are against all well meaning Nigerians, whether from the North or South.”

The Nigerian boarders are porous.

“Terrorism in Nigeria is the bane of economic and political factor. A pragmatic tackling of these economic and political factors will

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