- Boko Haram’s ‘Chief Butcher’ arrested
Following the conclusion of tortuous legal and diplomatic processes between Nigeria and the Republic of Sudan, suspected co-mastermind of the Nyanya Motor Park bombing in which scores of citizens died and hundreds wounded, Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, was on Tuesday extradited to the country from Sudan where he had taken refuge.
Ogwuche who was handed over to the Interpol Unit of the Nigeria Police Force by the Sudanese Authorities was flown into the country in a special flight from Khartoum which touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 3.00pm on Tuesday.
It would be recalled that the suspect who had long been arrested in Sudan following an international red notice issued for his arrest by the Nigeria National Bureau of Interpol had not been repatriated to the country before now due to some necessary processes involved in transferring suspects from one country to another.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, MD Abubakar, while commending the personnel of the Nigeria Police Interpol Unit for a job well done, noted that the successful repatriation of the suspect to Nigeria shows that the global coalition against terrorism championed by Nigeria is beginning to yield the desired result.
The police in Nigeria also on Tuesday said it has taken into custody a man it described as the ‘chief butcher’ of the Boko Haram.
Force Spokesman, Frank Mba, who made the announcement, said the suspected terrorist, Mohammed Zakari, slaughtered at least seven persons including women and children in the Balmo Forest Camp of the Boko Haram in Bauchi State, which has faced heavy bombardment and assault by security operatives.
According the Mr Mba, “Police detectives attached to Bauchi State Police Command on Saturday, July 12, 2014, about 2pm arrested one Mohammed Zakari, a male of 30 years old and senior member of the Boko Haram terrorists’ organisation, along Darazo-Basrika Road while fleeing from the intensive counter insurgency operations going on around the Balmo Forest.
“The suspect, who hails from Kaigamari Village, Daptchari in Darazo Local Government Area, Bauchi State is the self-styled ‘chief butcher’ of the insurgent group at the Balmo Forest Camp and is linked with the recent slaughter of seven people, including women and children.”
The spokesman said Zakari actively participated in the April attack on officers of the Customs service at Kari Town, along Maiduguri Road, Bauchi State.
