Xmas Day Bombing: HowKabiru Sokoto WasRearrested

The State Security Services
(SSS) on Friday gave a
vivid account of the
rearrest Friday morning in
Mutum Biu, Taraba State,
the Boko Haram kingpin,
Kabiru
Umar(alias Kabiru Sokoto),
who escaped from Police
custody in Abuja, three
weeks ago.
The arrest was said to
have been effected,
following more than one
week of profiling
conducted on Sokoto.
According to sources,
Kabiru Sokoto, was
smoked out from where
he was hiding in the
clothes rack at the
residence of an
accomplice.
Saturday Tribune gathered
that following the failure
of the police to handle the
case professionally,
leading to Sokoto's escape
in their hands in Abuja, the
Federal Government
immediately mandated
the SSS to take over the
case.
Kabiru Sokoto is acclaimed
to be the number two
man in the Boko Haram
hierarchy and suspected to
be the mastermind of the
December 25, 2011 bomb
blast on St. Theresa's
Catholic Church, Madalla,
Niger state, which claimed
more than 40 lives.
A source, who gave further
insights into the arrest,
explained that the
operatives did what they
called "professional
profiling," on Kabiru
Sokoto and traced him
from Makurdi to Taraba.
Sources close to the
administration confirmed
that operatives were
asked to monitor Sokoto's
movements as well as the
movement of people
linked with him.
He reportedly landed in
Nasarawa State sometime
after he left Abuja, but his
movements were not that
straight.
"The tracking paid off on
Thursday night when
operatives were able to
locate him in Taraba State
and pick him up early
Friday," a source said.
"We can confirm to you
that the DG of the SSS has
ordered immediate
questioning of the suspect.
That has started
immediately the man was
brought to the Yellow
House," a source said
adding that the operatives
were interested in
knowing how the suspect
escaped from the police
custody as well as all
those involved in the
escape.
Kabiru Sokoto, who was
brought to Abuja
immediately after his
arrest under heavy
security provided by
military personnel and
operatives of the
Department of State
Security Service (DSS), later
confirmed to newsmen
that he was actually the
same Kabiru Sokoto that
escaped from the police
custody in Abaji.
Giving further details on
the arrest, the
spokesperson of the
service, Ms Marilyn Ogar,
said Kabiru Sokoto was
apprehended by the
operatives of the service
and military personnel at
around 4:30 am at a
location in Taraba
following a tip off.
Specifically, Ogar who
paraded Kabiru Sokoto
before newsmen in Abuja
under heavy security said
that Kabiru Sokoto, who
escaped from lawful
custody on January 15, at
Abaji, in the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT), was
rearrested at Mutum-Biu
in Taraba.
According to her, "Kabiru
Sokoto, was picked up
from where he was hiding
in the clothes rack at the
residence of an
accomplice."
She said that preliminary
investigations revealed
that, "on his escape, he
had taken refuge at
Umaisha in Toto Local
Government Area of
Nasarawa State before he
fled to Taraba State where
he was eventually
rearrested."
Ogar said that the suspect
was arrested earlier in the
day and had to be brought
to Abuja for further
interrogation stressing,
"we have processes and
procedures in the service,
he will have to follow such
processes and procedures
which will guide the
service on the next line of
action.
Ogar, who assured that
the suspect would be
charged to court as soon
as possible dismissed a
question of fundamental
human rights of Kabiru
Sokoto raised by a
journalist, saying, "yes, he
has rights but he cannot
use his rights to infringe
on the rights of the entire
nation going by the
activities of his group."
On the alleged invasion of
the Nigerian Television
Authority (NTA),
Headquarters, Abuja over
the Boko Haram video
tape by SSS, Ogar denied
the allegation, saying it
was even the service that
authorised the NTA to air
the controversial tape
when the service was
contacted.