SUSPECTED BOKO HARAM ESCAPEE HOSPITALISED

Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar
A Boko Haram commander alleged to have escaped from detention is said to be receiving medical attention at an undisclosed location, sources told our correspondent in Abuja on Friday.

The suspect, whose real name is Mohammed Kachalla, was said to have fallen ill some weeks ago before he sought medical care.

Kachalla, Ibrahim Umar and Aliu Umar, an Air Force officer, were arrested alongside Kabir Sokoto in January 2012 at the Borno State Governor's Lodge in Abuja.

However, Sokoto, the alleged mastermind of the Christmas Day bombing of Saint Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, escaped from police custody at Abaji, a satellite town of the Federal Capital Territory.

Kachalla and Umar were still in police custody while Aliu Umar had been handed over to the Air Force authorities for investigation.

Sokoto was rearrested at Mutum Biu in Taraba State by the State Security Service in February.

Sources told Saturday PUNCH that the police authorities were rattled by a television report that a terror suspect had escaped, and they quickly ordered a head count of all terror suspects in police custody.

'The police authorities quickly directed that a roll call of terror suspects be carried out, having suffered serious embarrassment over the escape of Sokoto from police custody early this year.

'They have also ordered an investigation into the source of the report about the purported escape,' the source stated.