Nigeria police chief suspended over terror suspect escape
By the CNN Wire Staff
January 19, 2012 -- Updated 1206 GMT (2006 HKT)
Who are Nigeria's Boko Haram?
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The suspect escaped after his police escorts were attacked
- The local police commissioner is under investigation for possible negligence
- The escapee is suspected to be a member of the Boko Haram militant Islamist group
Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- A police commissioner in Nigeria has been suspended after the escape of a suspected terror group member, Nigerian police confirmed Wednesday.
The suspect, an alleged member of Boko Haram, a militant Islamist group said to favor strict sharia law, had been arrested in a successful police operation, authorities said in a written statement.
The suspect was then handed over to a local police commissioner, who instructed his men to take the suspect to the town of Abaji, in the Federal Capital Territory, for further investigation.
The police officers escorting the man "were attacked by the suspected sect gang members and in the process the suspect (was) freed," the statement said.
Boko Haram's terrorizing of Nigeria
Who are Nigeria's Boko Haram?
"The police view this development as a serious negligence on the part of the commissioner of police and have since been queried and suspended him from duty. If a criminal case is established against him and his team, they will be prosecuted," Nigerian police said.
Police sources identified the escaped man as Kabir Sokoto, a local businessman.
He was initially detained after arriving uninvited at the Abuja residence of the Borno state governor, the police sources said.
Five people were killed in their homes by suspected militants in the states of Borno and Yobe over the weekend, putting police on a heightened state of alert, the sources said.
Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is a sin," is frequently blamed for sectarian violence, particularly in northern Nigeria.
Police sources said Boko Haram had carried out an attack Wednesday on a Nigerian army outpost in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno, in which two soldiers were killed.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a partial state of emergency on December 31 in four northern states, Borno and Yobe among them, to contain a wave of attacks by Boko Haram.
The group claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on churches on Christmas Day.
CNN's Nima Elbagir contributed to this report.
Part of complete coverage on
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 0458 GMT (1258 HKT)
Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng tells CNN about his departure from China and his continuing concern for family and friends.
May 24, 2012 -- Updated 1739 GMT (0139 HKT)
Given recent headlines, you could easily assume something more dramatic than a singing competition was about to descend on Azerbaijan.
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 1213 GMT (2013 HKT)
Formula One's 12 teams have struck an agreement to secure the future of the sport until 2020, Bernie Ecclestone has exclusively told CNN.
May 26, 2012 -- Updated 2013 GMT (0413 HKT)
It was one small interview for astronaut Neil Armstrong ... and one giant scoop for an Australian accountant, of all people.
May 24, 2012 -- Updated 2136 GMT (0536 HKT)
Bastoy prison is on an island in southern Norway. There are no fences or armed guards, and inmates hold the keys to locks.
May 24, 2012 -- Updated 1336 GMT (2136 HKT)
Stars from Barcelona FC will be encouraging reading as part of a project to give one million digital books to African children.
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 0823 GMT (1623 HKT)
We have mixed in the Duke of Edinburgh's gaffes among other famous faux pas. Take our quiz and see how many of Philip's gaffes you can spot.
May 24, 2012 -- Updated 1534 GMT (2334 HKT)
The deadly clashes that are a fact of daily life in Syria have now bled into Lebanon, where sectarian shootouts are raising fears of an end to calm.
May 24, 2012 -- Updated 0746 GMT (1546 HKT)
Eva Wu has kept her teenage son's room unchanged ever since he died last year. Now, she also keeps him close in the form of a diamond.
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 0331 GMT (1131 HKT)
Demonstrators say Twitter posts and Facebook groups brought them to the streets of Mexico's capital and cities around the country.
May 26, 2012 -- Updated 0946 GMT (1746 HKT)
Ben Wedeman explains how much has changed since the last presidential election, but much remains the same.
May 22, 2012 -- Updated 1416 GMT (2216 HKT)
In Delhi, where there are more elephants than Mormons, Manu Joseph explores India's U.S. election-envy and why a Republican is better for India.
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 1149 GMT (1949 HKT)
The wheels are coming off the wagon, says Richard Quest -- and Greece's membership of the eurozone is untenable under the current conditions.
May 22, 2012 -- Updated 1428 GMT (2228 HKT)
Why some observers believe that the full story of who destroyed a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie has still to be uncovered.
Today's five most popular stories
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
|