How many Boko Haram suspects are in detention?
Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar was unable to provide the answer yesterday at a news conference in Abuja.
“Yes, we have quite a number of the suspects (Boko Haram) with us but I cannot give you a definite figure now. Remember that other security agencies are involved in this fight and they too have some suspects,” IG Abubakar said, adding: “Because of that concern and worry, we have just set up a committee to reconcile all the number of suspects and as soon as they do that, I can give you the number in detention.”
The police chief spoke after a meeting of the police top brass at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The IG ordered all zonal Assistant Inspectors-General of police (AIGs) to curb crimes in their areas of jurisdiction or face the consequences.
He decried what he described as increasing spate of lawlessness in certain parts of the country, particularly the northeast.
The IGP, however, cautioned the officers against high-handedness in the handling of the job, saying that the fundamental rights of citizens must not be trampled upon while enforcing the law.
Abubakar stressed the need to keep the streets free of criminals ahead of the Yuletide. He specifically charged Commissioners of Police in charge of Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Kaduna and Taraba states to be on their toes against the Boko Haram sect.
He said: “Given the situation we met on ground, I think there is progress. But we need to state that there are challenges, particularly in Borno, Yobe and Taraba in the Northeast and Kaduna and Zamfara states in the northwest.
“All these incessant killings, kidnappings, armed robberies must stop. We must work on the excesses of our men; we have seen appreciable improvement but we still need to do more.
“In the cases of bribery and corruption, we have improved but I have observed that there are some states where it seems the issue of bribery and corruption has not gone down. Henceforth, I am going to hold the Commissioners of Police responsible for this.”
The IGP attributed the delay in trying suspects arrested for alleged terrorism to the delay in passing the Anti Terrorism Bill, but added that the suspects are undergoing intense interrogation.
He hinted that an inter-agency committee comprising all the security agencies has been set up to properly screen the suspects and determine their culpability, stressing that a Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) is representing the police in the committee.
Abubakar said the police authorities were still working on the next line of action against the dismissed former Commissioner of Police, Zakari Biu who was alleged to have taken illegal actions that led to the escape from police custody of a terror suspect, Mr. Kabiru Sokoto.
Sokoto was alleged to have masterminded the bombing of St. Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State on Christmas day in 2011.
SOURCE: 21 November 2012.
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