Less than an hour after The Eagle Online reported that a suspect arrested by the police as being the wanted Boko Haram member, Kabiru Sokoto, is not the one being sought after, the police high command issued a statement saying it indeed was yet to re-arrest him.
News had filtered in that Sokoto had been re-arrested this afternoon. But checks by The Eagle Online showed a lot of tardiness on the part of the police that could make re-arresting Sokoto a arduous task.
One of such is that the police do not have the photograph of the missing Sokoto. The police thus placed a N50 million tag on Sokoto for whoever helps in his re-arrest.
The Eagle Online had reported earlier that there were serious doubts over the identity of the man the top hierarchy of the Nigeria Police Force arrested and claimed to be Sokoto.
It was gathered that the doubts emanated from the fact that contrary to laid down police procedures, the photograph of Sokoto was not taken on arrest. A source had told our correspondent: “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 24-hour time frame handed down to the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, is over, with the Presidency expected to act by tomorrow morning if Sokoto is not found.
The Presidency has queried Ringim, 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.