Presidency Reverses Plan To Detain Boko Haram In Southern Nigeria Prisons
SAN FRANCISCO, October 02, (THEWILL) – The Presidency has abandoned plans to detain members of the Boko Haram in select prisons spread across southern Nigeria, THEWILL can exclusively report.
The strategy would have seen radical Islamists presently in custody and future captives transferred to prisons in states in the south.
It is however unclear why the Presidency backed out of the strategy though the Boko Haram had successfully targeted prisons in the fairly predominantly Muslim north and set free many members.
The strategy according to one senior official familiar with the development would have made it difficult for the sect to execute a jailbreak to free their own but could have created security concerns for states hosting the prisons.
THEWILL gathered two weeks ago that the National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) had proposed the strategy to President Goodluck Jonathan who initially approved it but backed down under pressure from elites of the south after they expressed concerns and pressed him on the security implications of the strategy in the zone.
THEWILL gathered that the NSA had deployed machinery to execute the strategy before the reversal.
Recall that early this year, former NSA, General Andrew Owoye Azazi got the President’s approval to open a secret detention facility in Lagos to hold and interrogate captured members of the terrorist group responsible for several bombings including the UN building in Abuja, the Christmas Day Catholic Church bombing in Madalla, near Abuja and the deadly coordinated attacks in Kano that killed more than 300 persons including a Channels Television reporter, Enenche Akogwu.
THEWILL was unable to get comments from the NSA before going to press.
SSS spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar would not comment on the matter when THEWILL sought confirmation on the strategy and why it was abandoned.
Reuben Abati, the President’s spokesman did not respond to calls or text message from THEWILL.