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| Why did Buhari reinstate Zakari Bui, dismissed military deserters, saboteurs, Boko Haram sympathisers and spies? |
In the last week, under Buhari's watch and probably direct command, a police commissioner who colluded with Boko Haram to release a terrorists who bombed a church and killed hundreds was reinstated. In the same vein, Buhari reinstated over 3000 soldiers dismissed due to war offences ranging desertion, spying for Boko Haram and deliberate sabotaging of the anti terror efforts.
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| Zakari Biu was tried and found guilty of helping Boko Terrorists escape from detention |
Among the highlights of Buhari's 100 days in office was the announcement of the Police Service Commission (PSC), pronouncing a “not guilty” verdict on the dismissed commissioner of police, Zakari Biu, reinstating him to his former position and retiring him statutorily.
This was made known on friday in a statement by the commission’s spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani in which he said two former CPs, Danladi Adi Yirama Mshielbwala and Ibrahim Idris were promoted to the next rank of Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) on the orders from above.
Biu was dismissed from the Police Force after a trial, following his complicity in the escape from police detention of notorious Boko Haram suspect, Kabiru Sokoto.
According to Ani, the decision to reinstate Biu was taken during the commission’s 13th plenary meeting held in Abuja where he was exonerated of any complicity in Kabiru Sokoto’s escape.
“The Police Service Commission has approved the promotion of two commissioners of Police to the rank of Assistant Inspectors General of
Police. The commission also reviewed the CP Zakari Biu’s appeal against his dismissal, exonerating him and retiring him statutorily.
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| Kabiru Sokoto was the Boko Haram terrorist sentenced to life imprisonment for masterminding the 2010 bombing of St Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla |
“These decisions were the high points of the 13th plenary meeting of the commission held in Abuja.”
The meeting was presided over by the commission’s chairman, Dr Mike Mbama Okiro. promoted CP. Danladi Adi Yirama Mshielbwala and CP Ibrahim Idris to the next rank of AIG.
“It also exonerated CP Biu from the issues surrounding the escape of Kabiru Sokoto, an
arrested Boko Haram kingpin in Abuja,” Ani said.
Kabiru Sotoko was the Boko Haram terrorist sentenced to life imprisonment for masterminding the 2010 bombing of St Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla in which 44 worshippers were killed and 70 others sustained injuries. Sokoto was being led to his house for a house search when he escaped from police officers led by Bui. N50m reward was placed for anyone with information that would lead to
Sokoto’s rearrest.
Bui went on military trial in 2012 following which he was found guilty and dismissed from the Force.
In the same vein the Nigerian Army this week confirmed the reinstatement of 3,032 out of 5000 dismissed soldiers whose cases were reviewed by a committee constituted by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai.
This decision to reinstate soldiers dismissed for sabotaging the fight against Boko Haram terrorists must have passed through General Muhammadu Buhari as the commander in chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The acting Director of Army Public Relations, Sani Usman, made this known at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday. Usman, a colonel, said the cases presented to the disciplinary review committee were treated on merit, adding that the review process was still on.
According to him, only soldiers with disciplinary cases have been reinstated as those with criminal cases were not even considered by the committee.
“You would recall that the Nigerian Army sometime ago instituted a committee to review the recent disciplinary cases in the service, especially of those soldiers in the defunct ‘Operation Zaman Lafiya’, he said.
The director said the reinstated soldiers have since commenced re-training at a military facility in Niger preparatory for their eventual redeployment to the operational bases.
He said the re-training would reacquaint the reinstated soldiers with the development in a reinvigorated fight against insurgency in parts of the Northeast.
“The reinstated soldiers have shown their total readiness to be re-launched into theatre to combat insurgency and have commenced a re-training at the Nigerian Army Training Centre, Kontagora, Niger.
“This training is to re-orientate the affected soldiers and prepare them for the closing stage of the operational aspect of the counter-insurgency operations with more weapons and new leadership.
“It must, however, be made clear that not all dismissed soldiers were granted pardon and recalled, those with criminal cases, had their sentences upheld,’’ he said.
At the heat of the fight against Boko Haram terrorists, the Nigerian Army and the Defence headquarters alleged that some of their officers and men were giving vital official information to Boko Haram members. The allegation, however, brought about the arrest and arraignment of some officers who were court-martial in the army divisions in the northern part of the country.
More than 15 senior military officers including 10 generals were tried and found guilty of giving information and ammunition to members of the dreaded Islamist sect- Boko Haram.
According to a military source “There are a lot of arrests that have been made over some officers who were sabotaging the ongoing counter-insurgency operations. The suspects include about 10 generals and other ranks, not to talk of soldiers who have been found culpable of sabotaging our operations. They are facing trial before court-martials set up by their divisions; some have been found guilty, and some are still facing trial. Once the court martial rule, the recommendations are forwarded to the Army Headquarters or Defence Headquarters as the case may be,” the source said.
Major General Chris Olukolade
“Four generals have been court-martialed for divulging high-class security information to the members of the sect. They were found guilty of leaking military strategies to the Boko Haram people. This was why many soldiers have been ambushed and killed by the Boko Haram,” the source said.
“They have been found guilty of also collaborating with some top politicians in the country to make the country ungovernable for selfish reasons. A lot of re-organisation is going on in the military. Many generals will go. Some will be court-martialed and some will be forcefully retired.
“The movement of our troops in the north-east have been leaked to the Boko Haram by many of our colleagues, but the Defence headquarters has realized that and is seriously considering redeployment of some senior officers out of the north-east” he added.
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