Police Headquarters Bombing: IG had meeting with bomber
IG Hafiz Ringim
A curious twist emerged Thursday night to the force headquarters blast, as top security sources hinted that police boss; Hafiz Ringim allegedly had a meeting at his Maitama residence, with the unidentified Boko Haram bomber, few minutes before the explosion.
Pointblanknews.com learnt that the police boss invited him to join his convoy to his office at the Force headquarters, Abuja, after a brief conversation at Ringim's residence.
Top force headquarters sources also hinted that contrary to police claim, over 60 persons among them a Commissioner of Police whose identity could not be ascertained as at press time, me may have died at the scene.
A very reliable source within the security told Pointblanknews.com that the Boko Haram bomber had met the Inspector General at his residence and both men were said to have had some discussions. The subject of the meeting and the discussion was not immediately known.
But a security source hinted that the bomber may have posed as an informant with “a vital information on Boko Haram's plots and method of operation.”
The source who will not want to be mentioned disclosed that the IG invited the Bomber to join his convoy so they can finish up on their “discussions.”
“The driver who drove the car with the bomb met and had discussion with the IG in his Maitama residence before they both drove to the Police Headquarters,” the source said.
According to the source, an aide of the IG had spotted the bombers car in the convoy and made an attempt to block him but was prevailed by Mr. Ringim who said the occupant of the car was his guest. The bomber then successfully followed the IG's convoy into the Police Headquarters and was not stopped for search.
“The security attached to the IG wanted to stop him from joining the convoy, but the IG prevailed and asked the convoy security to close-up the security convoy and at the gate, the IG also stopped the security from doing a check before the car went inside,” the source told Pointblanknews.com
The source disclosed that when the convoy got to the Police Headquarters, an aide of the IG came and asked an Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP, Traffic in charge of Force Headquarters Traffic control, one Mr. Nangor, to direct the bomber to the appropriate place to park his car.
“He drove the car to the car park looking for a space and when the ASP came to direct him on how to park the car, the bomb exploded killing both of them. And at this time, the IG had already gone upstairs to his office.”
The source revealed that more than sixty persons may have died in the blast the shattered window glasses and shook buildings around the police headquarters.
A witness at Garki General Hospital said a number of ambulances brought bodies and injured persons to the hospital. The Red Cross also confirmed to Reuters that it had rushed many casualties to the hospital.
Meanwhile, m members of the Jama'atu ahlus Sunnah lid da'awati wal Jihad, popularly called Boko Haram, said yesterday that they failed in their target to eliminate the Inspector general of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim who they accuse of making unguided utterances against the group, vowing that more attacks on the police headquarters are underway.
A statement from a senior member of the group, Abu Zaid said the attack at the police headquarters was to prove a point to all who doubt the capabilities of the sect.
The statement signed by sect leader Abu Fatima said, “Of recent, he [Ringim] has been going to places and making unguarded utterances to the effect that he will crash us in a number of days…This is unfortunate. We attack his base (police headquarter) in order to show him that action speaks louder than words.”
He also said the sect members will continue to launch attacks at the police headquarters. “We would not relent and by the grace of God, we shall see who is on the right track,” he said.