House of Representatives investigates terror suspects escapes
Latifat Afegbua,Abuja

The House of Representatives is to investigate the recurring incidences of escape of suspected terrorists in the custody of security agencies.

The latest of such escapes was that of the alleged mastermind of last Christmas day church bombing at Madalla , Niger State, Kabiru Sokoto, a member of the Boko Haram Islamic sect, who the police said allegedly escaped while being escorted to his residence at Abaji for further investigation.

Adopting a motion on the matter, sponsored by Mr Bitrus Kaze on Tuesday, he named some incidences of such suspects that should engage the committee’s attention to include that of a suspected terrorist from the 33 Artillery Brigade in Bauchi, and twenty-six armed mercenaries who were arrested in Jos, and reportedly escaped at the police headquarters in Abuja.

The House has therefore mandated its joint Committee on National Security and Public Safety, Police Affairs and Army to carry out a thorough investigation into circumstances surrounding the escape of high profile terror suspects from the custody of security agencies, and report back in two weeks.

NAFDAC's removal from the ports

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has asked the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to go back to the ports were they were earlier evacuated from by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Okonjo Iweala.

This position was taken on Tuesday by members after   considering a report submitted by the House joint committee on Health, Commerce, Industries, Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes on the evacuation.

Leading the debate on the report, the House committee Chairman on Health, Mr. Ndidi Elumelu faulted the position of Mrs Iweala on the evacuation order stating that there were statutory provisions that empowered NAFDAC, SON and NDLEA to monitor the importation of certain goods at the Nigerian ports.

Mr Elumelu added that Mrs Okonjo-Iweala ignored the resolution taken by the House on the thirty-one of October, 2011, asking her to suspend the withdrawal of the three agencies from the operating at the ports.

The committee also noted that the Minister of Finance gave the order evacuating the three agencies without the approval of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Ugo