Police Arrest Christmas Day bomber in governor’s lodge

The suspected master mind of the Christmas Day bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, has been arrested.

Kabir Sokoto was arrested at the Borno State governor’s lodge in Asokoro, Abuja alongside an undisclosed military officer.

Police sources claim Sokoto orchestrated the attack in which over 40 people died. The Islamic Sect, Boko Haram, claimed responsibility for the bombing.

The Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, has reportedly briefed President Goodluck Jonathan on the breakthrough.

“Following a tip-off, the suspect was arrested early on Saturday morning while in hiding at the Liaison Office in Abuja,” said a police officer who did not want his name published. “He was said to be in transit to London. For weeks, we have been working on clues that the suspect was one of the masterminds of the Christmas Day bombing.

He is  being interrogated by a special team of senior officers on how St. Theresa’s Catholic Church bombing was perpetrated. The interrogation may also involve other security agencies since a serving military officer was with him when he was picked up.”

The suspect allegedly left Maiduguri on Friday via Kaduna. And arrived at Abuja to catch a flight to London. It is unclear what role the military officer played, however police sources claim he was hired to provide security for the fugitive.

“Oblivious to the fact that he was a Boko Haram member, the Permanent Secretary in charge of the lodge decided to be magnanimous to give him free accommodation for a night,” said the police source. “But intelligence agents trailing the suspect on the phone succeeded in tracing him to the lodge through a GPRS device.

This led to the storming of the lodge in the early hours of Saturday leading to the arrest of the serving military officer and some staff on duty. But after interaction with the staff, they were released by the police on bail pending the conclusion of a comprehensive investigation.”

Source: Daily Times

33 COMMENTS

  1. Good one NPF. I have no doubt that you guys are working. Keep up the good job. Please IG, give your boys incentives like promotions for any officer who cracks a difficult case, you will see even the redundant ones will come alive again.

  2. That is good work done by the NPF.Pls get the rest and trash them down.who ever killed should be killed.even if they thousand,i think onethoisand bad out otof good millions isnothing to lose.pls garder them all and …

  3. Kudos to NPF, pls all Nigeria shud be more security consus and alert d police any time they suspect any strange tin arad then. And d NPF shud work on having a single no dat d public can each then with.

  4. The governor is the real man behind this boko haram asult..how can a suspected boko haram member be seen inside his residence with all the security men on guard not spoting a strange element?..i guess there is more to this..A BOKO HARAM TOP MAN IN A GOVERNOR’S LODGE?? The governor has questions to answer i guess.

  5. GEJ, The borno state governor, the C.P, Ringim and most of the muslems in your govt must be brought to book. Why giving bail to people that are a set of security threat to a country of 150 million people? Be careful mr president, your life is also at stake. But Allah is with you. Dont be distracted from the good plans you have for this country.

  6. Kudos to those who made the arrest of this ‘bastard’ possible, and that is how their so-called kingpin and all their financiers will be exposed one by one, insha’Allah. Nigerians should know that the Boko Haram’s problems are numbered here. Everybody will soon be laughing!

  7. It is two things here for those praising the so-called police.
    Either the governor was not quick to settle them, or they man arrested was just to make it look like they are working,otherwise the arrest should have been extended to the so-called criminal governor that is abusing the office by harboring terrorists. He cannot claim innocent, just as an ordinary man that a criminal is found in house cannot be given a benefit of a doubt, even if the may have been held at gunpoint, unlike the case of the criminal governors…
    People wake before it is too late..
    Nigeria is a fraud, fight to dismantle it before it is too late!!!