The spokesman for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has challenged Vice President Kashim Shettima to explain the circumstances surrounding the arrest of convicted Boko Haram member Kabiru Sokoto at the Borno State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja in 2012.
Ibe, in a post on his X handle on Thursday, said the incident remains a major issue of public interest because it happened while Shettima was governor of Borno State, the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency.
It would be recalled that Kabiru Umar, also known as Kabiru Sokoto, was arrested in January 2012 after escaping police custody. He was later convicted for his role in the Christmas Day bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State. Following his arrest at the Borno State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, the Borno State Government denied any relationship with him and maintained that his presence at the facility resulted from a security breach.
“How did a notorious Boko Haram terrorist gain access to the official residence of a sitting governor?” Ibe asked.
He noted that although the Borno State Government denied knowing the suspect at the time and described the incident as a security breach, several questions had remained unanswered.
“But an official denial does not eliminate the legitimate questions arising from such an extraordinary incident,” he wrote.
The Atiku spokesman questioned who approved the suspect’s entry into the lodge, who received him, what security investigations later uncovered and whether any officials were punished over the incident.
He said: “Who authorised access to the lodge? Who accommodated the visitors? What did subsequent investigations establish? Were any officials sanctioned? And why has the full account of this troubling episode not been placed before Nigerians?”
According to him, the issues were about accountability in public office and should not be viewed through ethnic or religious lenses.
“These are questions of public accountability, not religious or ethnic prejudice,” he stated.
Ibe also pointed to major security challenges that occurred during Shettima’s tenure as governor, including the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in April 2014, saying Nigerians deserve a full account of the decisions taken during that period.
He added: “Nigerians deserve the full records of the Kabiru Sokoto investigation, an explanation of the security failures at the Borno Governor’s Lodge, and a transparent accounting of the decisions that shaped the fight against Boko Haram.”
Calling for greater transparency, Ibe said those who held public office during the height of the insurgency should be willing to account for their actions.
“Mr Vice President, public office does not confer immunity from difficult questions. The victims of Boko Haram deserve justice. Nigerians deserve answers. And those who governed at the height of the insurgency, including you, must be prepared to account for their stewardship, of how your actions and inactions may have enabled terrorism in our country,” he said.
He concluded: “The blood of innocent Nigerians must never be reduced to a footnote in the political careers of their leaders.”