| The Nigerian State Security Service says it has recaptured Kabiru Sokoto, the main terrorist suspect in a deadly Christmas Day bomb attack in Nigeria. The deputy director of public relations in the State Security Service, Marilyn Ogar, said, "We have brought forward Kabiru Sokoto who was declared missing. I think that is enough. How we went about it is our own business. It's private to us, we operate under the need to know principle, and so we won't begin to tell you our mode of operation." Kabiru Sokoto escaped prison in January prompting President Goodluck Jonathan to fire the chief of police and six deputies for letting the suspect escape. Islamist sect Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the bombing of a Church in Abuja which killed 37 people. Police arrested Sokoto, but during the operation, their police vehicle came under fire, and Sokoto escaped. Jonathan said members of the Islamist sect had infiltrated the security services and he has ordered a comprehensive restructuring of the police force. Boko Haram is modeled after the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, and according to Human Rights Watch, it has killed more than 500 people in the past year. The group is affiliated with other extremist Islamic groups in sub-Saharan Africa. Boko Haram, has acknowledged receiving training from al-Shabaab, the Somali extremist group who have now formally announced they are joining al-Qaeda, something US counter-terrorism officials have claimed to be the case for some time. |
