Why we released Boko Haram leader -CDS

Posted by admin Armed Forces, Boko Haram, Latest Politics Thursday, September 29th, 2011

The decision to release Boko Haram co-founder, Aliyu Tishau, was taken by all security agencies, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petirin, said yesterday. The CDS’ pronouncement ended the controversy trailing Tishau’s release even as the Police and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) traded blames.

Earlier in the week, the Presidency threatened to probe the disappearance of Tishau from detention and wield the big stick where necessary. Prior to the threat, the Police and DIA had traded blames over Tishau’s release from custody. The police reportedly handed the suspect over to the DIA via a memo by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Hafiz Ringim, following a request by the former.

Although all the military intelligence chiefs denied having anything to do with the sect leader, DIA later admitted taking custody of Tishau even as it noted it met brickwalls before he was eventually handed over.
But the bubble burst when the DIA reportedly requested for the suspect a second time for further investigations; a request which the Police allegedly turned down.

Police spokesman, Olusola Amore, a Deputy Commissioner, denied that, Tishau was ever released to the Police talkless of the authorities receiving a second request for his release to the DIA. The uncertainty over the whereabouts of the Boko Haram leader coupled with the claims and counter-claims among the security chiefs have been a source of worry and embarrassment to the Federal Government which decided to investigate the matter to enable it take appropriate measures.

Contrary to allegation that Tishau’s release was single-handedly effected by either the police or the DIA, the CDS, at a joint press conference of the military and the police at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, said that it was done by the Interrogation Centre, an inter-security agency body responsible for the questioning of suspects.
Speaking through his representative, Director of Defence Information (DDI), Colonel Mohammed Yerima, yesterday, the CDS said that the decision was based on a court order obtained by Tishau within the period of his detention and interrogation by the centre.

“Tishau was interrogated by the police; later on, the police released Tishau to the Interrogation Centre. At the Interrogation Centre, before the conclusion of interrogation on Tishau, a court order came and the interrogation Centre released Tishau. He went about doing his normal business just like any other person. Thereafter, he went and granted interview to AIT.

“He has the right to grant an interview just like any one of us can grant an interview. However, the substance of the interview might not necessarily be true, of which we objected to all the insinuations he made in the interview with AIT. While at the Interrogation Centre, a court order came and as law-abiding citizens of Nigeria, as security agencies, we had no options than to release him based on the court order that granted him bail”, the CDS averred.

However, in a swift reaction, the police said that it was not aware of the said court order and was never a party to the decision to release Tishau. Mr. Ringim, represented at the briefing by Amore, while leaving the Air Force Hall venue, said categorically that, “We are not informed about any court order.”

The police had last Friday, stressed that they released Tishau on request and not on bail, to a sister security agency, stating emphatically that it was still patiently waiting for the sister security agency to return Tishau to the force after the said interrogation, for further actions. The police’s claims and insistence appeared to be puncturing the CDS’ assurance to Nigerians that, “there is no iota of disunity or rancor within or between security agencies in the fight against terrorism despite the orchestrated speculations by a section of the media.”

While also reassuring of the determination of defence and other security organizations to continue to work with a unity of purpose and to complement each other, the CDS expressed confidence that the concerted effort of security agencies and the goodwill of well-meaning Nigerians, the forces of terror in the country would be defeated.

-Sunwp_posts