Boko Haram Suspects: Mbu Missing As Jigawa Lawmakers Storm Rivers To Secure ‘Traders’ Release
Category: Nigerian National News
Efforts by eight members of the Jigawa State House of Assembly to meet
with the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Mr. Joseph Mbu, over
the continued detention of 19 suspected members of the radical Islamic
sect, Boko Haram, proved abortive on Thursday.
The lawmakers, led by Mr. Shehu Wan, had travelled to Port Harcourt, the
Rivers State capital on a fact-finding mission on the reason why the
police are still holding on to the remaining 19 suspects.
The State Police Command had arrested 294 northerners on the suspicion that they are members of the terrorist
group as they traveled from Jigawa to Port Harcourt last Sunday at the
border between Rivers and Imo States but following their screening by a
team of investigators, 275 suspects were released while the remaining 19
suspects were held back for further investigations.
Wan, who represents Kalugama Constituency in the Jigawa State House of
Assembly, told newsmen that their proposed meeting with Mbu could not
hold because he (Mbu) was not in the office.
The lawmaker insisted that the remaining 19 suspects were mainly
traders and not Boko Haram members as alleged, adding that nothing
incriminating was found on them.
He said, “We are here because of the arrest of our people from Jigawa
State by the Police. We have been here since yesterday and our
investigations have shown that 296 people were arrested and 275 have
been released.
“On our arrival yesterday (Wednesday), almost all of them were
released except 19, who are still been held by the police. Our mission
here is to find out what really happened. We started with the community
leaders. Later, we met with the detainees and after that, with the
police.
“When we got to the Police Commissioner’s office, he was not on seat.
After our meeting with community leaders, we found out that nothing
incriminatory was found on them; they are mainly traders and those who
come here on annual vacation.
“On the official position of the police, the Assistant Commissioner
said he was not mandated to talk, the commissioner is not around and the
deputy commissioner (of police) is also not around”, Wan said.
He explained that the traders always travelled to Rivers to earn a
living there after the rainy season, adding that those arrested left
Jigawa on Friday January 24, 2014 en route Port Harcourt before they
were arrested in a convoy of 17 buses.
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