Date Published: 09/23/11

Boko Haram Kingpin, Tishau, Escapes from Defence Intelligence' Custody
…Police insist, We released him to DIA

Tishau

Hafiz Ringim

Top shot of the Boko Haram sect, Ali Tishau, may have varnished from detention, few days after he was released by the police.

Tishau was in police custody until the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), formally requested for his release on June 27 for interrogation as part of intelligence gathering on Boko Haram.

Although Tishau was released to the DIA on July 7, the police later discovered that he had been released.

The whole drama is causing rumbles at the Presidency and within the top echelon of the nation's security apparati. Moreso when President Goodluck Jonathan and some world leaders at the UN vowed to tackle terrorism .

The Force Public Relations Officer, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Olusola Amore, although confirmed Tishau's release, he however declined to name the affected agency.

Amore maintained that as far as the force was concerned, the Boko Haram co-founder was still in the custody of the unnamed security outfit, saying that he (Tishau) was not released on bail.

“The suspect, Mr. Ali Tishau, had been requested for on June 27, 2011 and was released on July 7, 2011 to a sister organisation for investigation in the spirit of information and intelligence sharing,” Amore said. “To date, he has not been returned to the police.”

The said leader was allegedly released on the order of top ranking army officer of northern stock in the DIA.

The said army officer has been redeployed to the Army Headquarters.

It was learnt that all attempts to locate the whereabouts of Tishau had failed in the last two months until he opened up on AIT.

security agencies have been shifting blame in the last two months over the escape of the Boko Haram leader. The police and DIA have been at loggerheads.

The poor coordination of intelligence on Boko Haram accounted for recent changes in DIA where a former Director of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), Gen. Audu was redeployed to the DIA.