*Explains that suspects were arrested on their return from pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia
*That team of operatives have been mandated to carry out investigation before arraignment
*As Katsina State govt is accused of sponsoring terrorists to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage
That govt allegedly paid N10m for every terrorist sponsored to Mecca
By Godwin Ogar
The Department of State Services, DSS has commenced investigations into the activities of seven suspected terrorist leaders who were recently arrested at the Katsina airport on their return from Hajj in Mecca.
A security source familiar with the matter has revealed to Nigerian Pilot newspaper that having been taken into custody, investigations are already being carried out by a team of operatives before the eventual arraignment of the suspects in court, in line with professional ethics.
“The normal due process will be followed, like in the previous cases,” the source revealed.
The incident followed allegations that the Katsina State Government sponsored terrorists to Saudi Arabia spending the sum of N10 million on every terrorist so sponsored.
However, the Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasir Mua’azu, had denied the allegation saying “the allegation is entirely baseless, unfounded, and devoid of any factual basis.”
It would be recalled that recently, the convener of the Katsina Community Security Initiative, Dr. Bashir Kurfi, had in a TV interview, publicly alleged that the Katsina State Government had paid N10 million for each bandit leader to travel to Mecca for Hajj exercise although he did not point out how many of such terrorists were sponsored by the state government.
The Katsina State security advocate had alleged that the state government knows the whereabouts of the bandits and identifies with them.
“And where are these people staying? The terrorists. They are not in the bush or in the rocks. They are staying in the clime and when they captured this man (Gen Rabe), if they (the government) wanted. If they know the bandits’ leaders…In fact, it is alleged (that) in Katsina, the government paid about 10 million (naira) for bandits to go to Saudi Arabia for Hajj….Yes, it is an allegation,” he stated.
“Some of these big bandits, like ‘Mainuri,’ like ehm, this guy around Runka area, many of them are in Saudi Arabia. I don’t know if they are back. Bandit leaders. (They go to Saudi Arabia), may be to ridicule the religion, because how can you be a murderer, and you don’t have any face, and then they take you to Mecca and call you an Alhaji, and then they allow you to fly from Nigerian airport, and come back from (through) Nigerian airport? And these are people who are not only killing civilians, but they also kill the military,” Dr. Kurfi continued.
In a swift response to this allegation, security operatives have intercepted seven (7) bandit leaders at the Umaru Musa Ya’adua Airport in Katsina State on their return from Mecca where they had gone for pilgrimage.
