SSS re-arrests Kabiru Sokoto inside wardrobe

February 11, 2012 by Adelani Adepegba, Abuja; additional reports by Fidelis Soriwei 233 Comments

State Security Service officers on Friday re-arrested Kabiru Abubakar Dikko (aka Kabiru Sokoto), the suspected Boko Haram kingpin alleged to be the mastermind of the 2011 Christmas Day bombing of the St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State.

Sokoto, who allegedly led the terror attack in which 43 worshippers died, was arrested at the residence of an accomplice, where he was hiding inside a clothes rack at Mutum-Biu, Gassol Local Government Area, Taraba State.

The Boko Haram operative, who was sporting a Puma-branded T-shirt over a pair of jeans, was paraded at the SSS Headquarters at a brief news conference in Abuja.

Sokoto had earlier escaped from police custody on January 15, 2011 at Abaji in the Federal Capital Territory, when he was being led to his home for a search of his apartment by a team of policemen on the orders of Zakari Biu, a commissioner of police.

The police had on Jan 19 declared him wanted and placed a N50m bounty on his head.

Sokoto’s escape from custody led to widespread criticism of the police hierarchy; Biu and five other junior policemen, who took Sokoto to Abaji are currently facing disciplinary probe over the incident.

Sokoto’s escape also led to the sack of the former Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, and the Police Management Team comprising six Deputy Inspectors-General.

Briefing newsmen in Abuja, the Deputy Director, Media and Public Relations, SSS, Marilyn Ogar, explained that after his escape, the suspect had taken refuge at Umaisha in Toto LGA, Nasarawa State, before he fled to Taraba, where he was re-arrested.

Ogar didn’t allow the suspect to answer questions from journalists, insisting that investigations were still ongoing and Sokoto would not be allowed to disclose information that might jeopardise the operations of the service.

Giving background information about the suspect, Ogar said that Sokoto was born on May 9, 1983 to the family of Umaru Jabbi of Gagi village, Sokoto South LGA, Sokoto State.

Upon the death of his father, he was adopted by his paternal uncle, Abubakar Dikko and renamed after him. He completed his primary education at Model Primary School, Gagi town in 1996.

According to Ogar, the suspect enrolled for secondary education at the Ahmadu Bello Academy in 1996, but absconded shortly after and re-applied for admission as a fresh Junior Secondary School I pupil in Sultan Bello Secondary School, Sokoto South LGA, from where he passed out in 2003.

“In 2005, he gained admission into the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Sokoto, where he exhibited a high level of truancy and extremist tendencies, a situation which accounted for his poor academic performance. In mid-2007, he absconded again from the institution when he outright refused to re-sit some papers he failed in an examination,” she narrated.

The SSS spokesperson stated that Sokoto was instrumental to the visit of the late leader of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf, to Gagi village in February 2009, during which he was declared the leader of the sect in Sokoto State.

Ogar re-assured Nigerians of the collective resolve of security forces to stamp out terrorism, adding that they were poised to end all the dastardly activities of terror groups in the country.

She sought the support and cooperation of Nigerians to rid the nation of terror plotters.

Also, a top intelligence officer hailed the re-arrest of Sokoto.

He attributed the success to the commitment of the security agencies, who had seemed helpless in the war against terrorism before now.

The officer explained that the exercise was made possible by the effective collaboration among security operatives and members of the public.

According to him, several Islamic organisations have condemned the group on the grounds that Islam did not teach anybody to kill. He stated that security gadgets and other GSM tracking equipment, which had been procured and put to work effectively, were crucial in re-arresting Sokoto.

The source added that many of the members of the sect in custody of the security agencies were monitored and arrested through their mobile telephone lines.

It was learnt that the Federal Government was taking delivery of other important security equipment.

The officer said, “Kabiru is in custody; more will soon join. The security agencies are working and it is now obvious. There is nothing more to add.”