Kabiru
Sokoto, who some people suspect is
the second in command of Boko Haram,
would hardly be in police custody
again. The probability that he is
dead already outweighs the lesser
possibility that he has crossed to
neighbouring countries.
By the time he was arrested, Kabiru
was planning to leave Nigeria,
according to reports. That means he
has gauged that the country entirely
was not safe enough for his abode.
His arrest has deprived him of all
his travel documents. If they are
not found with the police during the
ongoing investigations, then it is a
proof that his escape was organized
from within the force headquarters.
This is a veritable litmus test.
Without the passport in his hand, a
neighbouring country would come to
mind first. But there too the safety
would only be temporary. The
authorities there are also vigilant
on Nigerian migrants. They were
quickly alerted, so they will be on
the watch under their strong
francophone surveillance network.
How small could the world be
sometimes!
I strongly feel that given the
uncertainty of his safety even
outside Nigerian borders, the best
strategy to prevent Kabiru is to
kill him immediately after his
escape. The arrest of Kabiru must
sent some hearts outside Boko Haram
racing. His escape would not bring
any solace to them unless he is
totally put out of circulation.
This has happened to others before
him in police custody. I doubt if
the Boko Haram leader, Muhammad
Yusuf, was killed out of vengeance
by the police. Yusuf was killed in
police cell shortly after he was
visited by the then Borno State
Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff. Except
for the recorded interview that was
on Youtube which mainly focused on
the ideology of Boko Haram, there is
no other record of his
interrogation.
In the same manner, the greatest
link between the group and the Borno
State Governor was brutally severed.
Papers reported that Mohammad Foi
was arrested on his farm, bundled on
a police patrol pick-up van, and
taken to the government house in
Maiduguri. He begged, in vain, to
see the governor. He was immediately
driven away to the Police
Headquarters where he was gunned
down as he was made to walk on the
road before a cheering public.
Stories of such executions of senior
Boko Haram members in custody are
common. Why would Kabiru be an
exception? The same brains that
hatched the idea of his escape might
not lose sight of the danger his
life would pose. After all, in the
hierarchy of lives in the group, it
is difficult to see how those forces
that did not spare Muhammad Yusuf
would spare the life of Kabiru. It
is safer to conclude that Kabiru is
most likely lying in a grave
somewhere in the Federal Capital
Territory.
Moreover, Kabiru has shown
discomforting indiscretion in his
movements. If, as reports indicate,
he knew he was pursued by security
agents, how came he did not severe
his SIM card from his phone or get
rid of both such that he can
disappear from the GPRS radar?
Many are suspicious of Zakari Biu,
the Commissioner of Police in whose
custody Kabiru disappeared. However,
Ringim, who is set to be latest
Inspector General of Police to be
consumed by Boko Haram on that seat,
seems to be innocent. If he were an
accomplice, he would not have been a
target that narrowly escaped death
when his headquarters was bombed. He
would not have arrested Kabiru in
the first place and delightfully
broke the news to the President.
I am not surprised that he has
stayed put. After all, others caught
in similar mess ought to have
resigned before him. The Minister of
Petroleum, Diezani, would have
preceded him. Under her, a colossal
N800billion in fuel subsidy alone
was stolen last year. The President
himself would have also resigned
along with the National Security
Adviser for showing the most dismal
performance among those that
occupied their positions in our
history.
Asking Ringim (or is it Ring him?)
to produce Kabiru within 24 hrs was
a project not intended to succeed.
And if Kabiru is dead, as he is most
probably, Ringim can be assured that
his days on that seat are numbered.
Azazi may soon ring him to say your
time is up.
Abuja
22 January 2012