Inspector General of Police (IGP), Hafiz Ringim
The National Security
Adviser (NSA), retired
General Patrick Azazi
has set up a high-powered
probe panel made up of
senior military officers to
investigate the embattled
Inspector General of
Police (IGP), Hafiz
Ringim
over the dramatic
escape from police custody
of a Boko Haram member,
Kabir Umar Sokoto on
Sunday. The police on
Thursday placed a reward
of N50million on Sokoto, who
is suspected to be the
mastermind of the Christmas
Day bomb attack on St.
Theresa Catholic Church,
Madalla in Niger State. The
panel came just as Ringim
responded to a query
issued to him by Police
Affairs Minister Caleb
Olubolade, asking him to
explain within 24 hours how
the suspect escaped in
Abaji, Abuja while he was
being escorted by police on
a search mission to his
residence. Olubolade
revealed the setting up of
the panel to journalists
yesterday at the State
House, Abuja. He said the
panel whose composition he
did not reveal, is made up
of senior military officers
and personnel from the
Ministry of Police Affairs and
has about one week to turn
in its report.
Olubolade had indicated last
Wednesday that the IGP had
been given 24 hours to re-
arrest the suspect. All the
policemen involved in the
operation have since been
ordered to be detained
including Zakari Biu, the
Commissioner of Police who
led the operation. The
Minister indicated that
rather than sack Ringim the
panel would be allowed to
complete its assignment first
to determine the complicity
of those involved in the
escape saga. He said, “I
have given some directives.
The Inspector General of
Police has responded. A
committee has been set up
above the police which
takes into cognizance
experts in various aspects
to come together and
conduct another
investigation. So, that is
being assembled and they
have been set up to work. I
think this is how far we
have gone.”
He said even though the IGP
has responded to the
query, it was now the
responsibility of the new
committee to determine the
correctness of his position.
Olubolade, who conceded
that Ringim has survived
the 24-hour ultimatum even
though he has not produced
the suspect, noted that
“one thing is to explain and
another thing is to look at
the content of those
explanations.” He urged
Nigerians calling for the
sack of the Ringim to
exercise patience and allow
the panel to conclude its
assignment.
In a related development,
the police have denied
arresting and detaining the
wife of Sokoto. Deputy Force
Public Relations Officer Yemi
Ajayi said: “Police did not
detain the suspect’s wife.
We don’t do proxy
arrests.”
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