News of his arrest came even as the Nigeria Police Force, State Security Service and military intelligence units on Wednesday denied reports of inter-agency rivalry and infighting.
There have been reports of bitter infighting among the security agencies in the wake of the bombing campaign of Boko Haram, and a television interview granted by one of its leaders.
Gov. Kashim Shettima told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the mastermind was arrested with five other members of the sect.
The governor claimed that the arrest was responsible for the drop in the number of bombings in the state. “They operate in some sort of cells, some sort of units that interlinked, but generally they take directives from one commander,” he reportedly said.
When our correspondent called the government to reveal the identity of those arrested, it declined. The Director of Press to the state government, Usman Ciroma, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, said doing could affect ongoing investigations by security agencies.
He said, “We are not in the position to reveal the identity of those arrested; that is the work of the security agencies.
“However, we are happy that peace is gradually returning to the state and we are also very sure that things would soon become normal.”
A source in a security agency, who pleaded anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the case, confirmed the arrests but also refused to identify the suspects.
At the conference which the agencies held under the auspices of the Committee of the Information Managers of the Security Services, in Abuja, they strove to debunk the reports of infighting. However, they could not offer satisfactory answers to some of the questions posed by newsmen.
Director of Information of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas, who chaired the committee, said the perceived disagreement among the security agencies was unfounded and a creation of the media.
Anas said, “The attention of the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petintin, has been drawn to the recent media reports suggesting some disagreements between some Nigerian security organisations in their efforts to stop criminal and terrorist activities in the country, particularly as regards the purported release from custody of Aliyu Tishau, the self-confessed co-founder of the Boko Haram sect.
“This press conference is therefore essentially to assure Nigerians that there is no iota of disunity or rancour with or between security agencies in the fight against terrorism despite the orchestrated speculations by a section of the media.”
While Anas was quick to blame the media he was silent on the report of the Presidential Committee on Security Challenges in the North- East which also adduced the bitter rivalry among the security agencies as one of the obstacles to dealing with the Boko Haram crisis.
While submitting the report to Vice President Namadi Sambo on Monday, the Chairman of the committee, Ambassador Usman Galtimari, had said, “On the part of the security agencies, there are palpable operational lapses, service rivalry, under-funding, under-equipment and lack of collaboration. In addition, governments have failed to deliver justice and bring immediate relief to victims of the crisis.”
The seven-man committee was inaugurated on August 2, 2011, with the primary mandate of identifying the faces behind the activities of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
At the conference, Anas also explained how Tishau, whom the police claimed to have handed over to a sister agency came to grant an interview.
In the interview, Aliyu Tishau, the sect co-founder and coordinator in Gombe, Bauchi and Plateau states had accused some of the security agencies of negligence and incompetence.
Tishau had also said that he met with the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, before at least one bombing and warned him that it would take place. He alleged that Ringim did not take any pre-emptive action despite his warning.
But the police had countered that Tishau was released to an unnamed sister agency which requested him for further interrogation.
He said, “The so-called co-founder of Boko Haram, Mr. Aliyu Tishau, was arrested and detained by security agencies for questioning on his relationship with the terrorist group and was later released on the strength of a court order.
“Mr. Tishau subsequently found his way to the African Independent Television where he made several spurious claims.
“His much publicised diatribe is understandable and should be situated on the psychology of someone who went through a period of detention and needed a platform to vent his anger.”
When asked who got the order on behalf of Aliyu, from which court and the name of the judge, neither Anas nor his colleagues who spoke at the press briefing could provide an answer. The Director of Defence Information, Col. Mohammed Yerima, only said that the police arrested Tishau handed him over to the Central Investigation Centre of the Nigerian security agencies which in turn released him when he got a court order.
Anas said it was while the Boko Haram leader was undergoing interrogation at the CIC that the court order was brought for his release.
Also in attendance at the briefing were Navy Commodore Kabir Aliyu and Mr. Olusola Amore, the spokesmen for the Navy and the Police.
Source: http:///boko-haram-leader-behind-maiduguri-attacks-arrested-nigeria-newspapers
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