Senate Demands Speedy Trial of Zakari Biu As Investigations Reveal Kabiru Sokoto Visited Snake Island Lagos

BOKO HARAM SUSPECT KABIRU SOKOTO

ABUJA, February 21, (THEWILL) - The Senate on Tuesday demanded for an expedited and quick persecution of embattled Commissioner of Police, Zakariu Biu and all those involved in the infamous escape of Boko Haram suspect Kabiru Sokoto.

The Upper chamber, which also urged the public to assist security agencies by providing useful information, added that the speedy prosecution will serve as deterrent to other security operatives.

This was contained in the report of Senate Committee on Police Affairs, which was read on the floor of the senate.

The Senate had mandated its committee on Police Affairs to carry out a full scale investigation into the activities of Boko Haram and the bizarre escape of 'Kabiru Sokoto', the alleged mastermind of the Madalla Christmas Day Bombing, who later escaped from police custody.

The suspect has since been re-arrested by the State Security Service (SSS).

The Senate however turned down other recommendations in the report including the establishment of special courts to handle cases of terrorism and special training for judges and prosecutors to handle terrorist offences.

The Senators while debating the report, called for caution in adopting the whole recommendation of the report because the case was still being investigated.

Reading the committee report, its Chairman, Senator Igwe Paulinus Igwe, gave a vivid account of how Kabiru Sokoto escaped from security operatives.

According to him; "Prior to Kabiru Sokoto's arrest on January 14, he was reported to have been noticed within the vicinity of snake Island Lagos. He left Lagos sometime on 13 December, 2011 and disappeared from Surveillance monitoring until January 11 2012 where he was traced to Abaji.

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

“They said Adamu Salihu who was later discovered to be a close associate of Kabiru Sokoto as well as a suspected Member of the Boko Haram suddenly went into his room, came out with a copy of the Holy Quran, cited some quotes and with a loud shout of "ALLAHU AKHBAR (God is Great) mobilized nearby youths who attacked the police with hard objects and forcefully took over the suspects whom they whisked away."

He however indicated that while a combined security team of 58 men arrested Kabiru Sokoto, only 5 officers accompanied the suspect to his residence in Abaji.

On Zakari Biu, the committee report indicated that Biu "once in the year 2000 disappeared from the police force on the allegation that former President Olusegun Obasanjo said he did not want him in the force. He later appeared again after 10 years.

When the committee probed further, the Chairman Police Service Commission told the Committee that he recalled Commissioner of Police Zakari Biu because he was never suspended or queried by the Nigerian Police Force.

"That Zakari Biu was officially suspended by the Commission based on the fact that the Inspector General of Police reported the case of escaped suspect in his custody to allow full investigation".