Abul Qaqa: Man who betrayed Kabiru Sokoto.

THE headquarter of the Nigerian Security Service in Abuja was last weekend buzzing with excitement following the re-arrest of wanted Madalla, Christmas Day bomber, Kabiru Umar Sokoto in Taraba.

The month old persistent effort to resolve the Sokoto escape issue ended in a resounding success as a patriotic but turn coat Boko Haram member provided the information that led to the arrest of Sokoto.

We reliably gathered from competent security sources that the security agencies recorded a major breakthrough with the arrest of Boko Haram spokesman, Abul Qaqa, few weeks ago in his hideout in suburb of Kaduna State.

Qaqa was said to have capitulated during interrogation and gave away vital information some of which, sources said, led to the re-arrest of Sokoto.

“It was Qaqa who told the SSS that Sokoto is still in the country and was in regular touch with him before he (Qaqa) was arrested. He said he discussed with Sokoto few days before his arrest and revealed that Sokoto was still in the country.” Our source continued:

“He was afraid of being arrested at the border. He had attempted to leave the country. Qaqa told the security agents that Sokoto was hiding somewhere in Nasarawa and was making arrangement to leave for far North. So, it was Qaqa that gave the security people clues on how to arrest Sokoto. They traced him to Nasarawa and followed up discreetly until he was finally arrested,” an inside source said.

Abul Qaqa was arrested two weeks ago by the SSS who had been monitoring his whereabouts through the GPS, sources disclosed that SSS had knowledge of both Qaqa and Sokoto interaction and movement having kept a tab on them though the sophisticated surveillance device, but was waiting for the right time to grab both of them. “You know, the SSS doesn't like to talk about security issues openly or respond to every criticism. All the way, the SSS had ideas about where Qaqa and Sokoto could be arrested because Qaqa always called Sokoto on phone and the SSS will pick their discussion through the GPS. The security officers did not want to divulge the extent of their plan to re-arrest the wanted terrorists until when they were quite ready for them.” Out source further said.

Jonathan angle
We learned that the security agents were jolted to do something positive after another mandate given to them by the presidency.
“We heard that President Goodluck Jonathan gave strict instructions to the new Inspector-General of Police, (IG)  Mohammed Dikko Abubakar to find Kabiru Sokoto within one month and resolve the security crisis in the country if he must be confirmed as substantive IG. You know, the police and SSS work hand in hand.” Our source explained.

It was reliably gathered that President Jonathan was disturbed by local and foreign security reports which forewarned him to do something quickly to re-assure Nigerians from the south, especially the Igbos who were leaving the North in their hundreds, about their security anywhere in the country.

“There were fears expressed in recent security reports that the country may dissolve following exodus of some Nigerians living in the North, particularly South-East indigenes. It was recommended that the arrest of frontline Boko Haram elements and re-organisation of the Security system will check the impending implosion,” source said, adding, “There was also the MD Abubakar factor, the new IGP wants to justify the confidence reposed in him, though Sokoto was not arrested by the police per se, but the force supplied useful information. The thinking in security circle today is that former IGP, Rafiz Ringim and police commissioner Zakari Biu really compromised their position and deliberately refused to do something concrete about Sokoto. I believe that they did not make any serious move to re-arrest him. Now, how would he justify the fact that Sokoto was arrested just barely two weeks after Ringim was removed?

Our source said that the security agencies were spurred by the ultimatum given to them and the sudden renewed pressured by their boss, the SSS Director and Acting IGP. Intelligence officers from the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) also played vital role in the final arrest of Kabiru Sokoto.

According to our sources, “There have been joint security meeting attended by several officers. During each session they compared notes and agreed on the way forward. The police voluntarily shared their intelligence gathering on Kabiru Sokoto with Joint Security team. The SSS took over from there and finally broke the iceberg.”

Further investigation disclosed that the president is worried by the claim that Boko Haram plans to launch the second phase of their terrorism campaign shortly. The second phase of their plan includes the killing of eminent Nigerians in both private and public sector.
Some of these Nigerians like the Nobel Laureate; Professor Wole Soyinka has reportedly informed the presidency and security agencies to take a pro-active action on the matter.

Sources stated that Abul Qaqa during interrogation after his arrest, allegedly blamed the Kanuri members of the group for the arrest of other Boko Haram members who ware Hausa-Fulani, Chadians, and Cameroonians.

He informed that the group is at the verge of disintegration as a result of intra ethnic and religious crisis. On the case of those who put their lives on the line in other to achieve the group's objective. Qaqa was said to have told security Agents that the so-called suicide bombers were handpicked and forced to carry out their assignment on the pain of death. Qaqa said that most of those picked for the deadly assignment were Hausa-Fulani and non Nigerians. He blamed the Kanuri members of his group for the ethnicism and disregard for the lives of non-Kanuris. Qaqa remonstrated: “No Suicide Bomber of the group volunteers ever to die that way. They are usually handpicked and once you are handpicked, it is death either way. If you refuse, you would be killed on the orders of the leadership.”

Hot chase
For long, the SSS has been on the trail of Sokoto through useful information gathered from his conversation with now detained Qaqa. The SSS knew he was in Umaisha in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State and kept a tab on him until they were convinced to arrest him in Mutum-Biu, Taraba State.

Sokoto's arrest was a concerted effort by State Security Agents, Boko Haram, turn coat and patriotic Civilians. Vital information was said to have been given to security agents by neighbours in Mutum-Biu where he was arrested inside a wardrobe in his brother's residence and through the assistance of SSS underground cover agents who have been monitoring Sokoto from his hole in Nasarawa to the point of waterloo in Taraba.

Kabiru sokoto was said to be the number two man in Boko Haram's hierarchy. He was said to have masterminded the December 25, 2011 bomblast in St Theresa's Catholic Church Madalla, Niger State, which reportedly claimed over 40 lives.

Sokoto was born in May 9, 1983, to the family Umaru Jabbi of Gagi village, Sokoto South LGA, Sokoto. When his father died, he was adopted by his paternal uncle, Abubakar Dikko. He completed his primary education at Model Primary School, Gagi town in 1996.

He had his secondary school education at the Ahamdu Bello Academy in 1996, but was said to have absconded shortly after and re-applied for admission as a fresh Junior Secondary School Pupils in Sultan Bello Secondary School, Sokoto South LGA from where he passed out in 2003. He gained admission into the college of Nursing and midwifery, Sokoto in 2005 and was said to have exhibited high level of truancy and tendencies associate with extremists, a trait which accounted for his poor academic record. He absconded from the institution in 2007 when he out-rightly refused to re-sit some papers he failed in an examination. Sokoto was alleged to be instrumental to the visit of late leader of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf to Gagi Village, Sokoto in 2009.

It was during the visit that Yusuf was pronounced leader of the Boko Haram Sect. Sokoto was first arrested about a month ago but he escaped from his captors on January 15, 2012 in Abaji, an outskirt of Abuja.

Sokoto's escape led to the removal of former Inspector General of Police Hafiz Ringim and the on-going trial of the Police Commissioner Zakari Biu in Abuja.

When the news of the re-arrest of Kabiru Sokoto broke last week, Zakari was said to have screamed and suddenly became jittery.

Kabiru Sokoto was brought to Abuja amid tight security provided by Military personal and SSS operatives.