Police rearrest notorious jailbreakers linked to Senator

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has arrested Kabiru Saidu, also known as Osama, the last of six suspects who escaped from a police cell last week and is linked with Kogi lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye in a criminal conspiracy case.

Saidu and Nuhu Salisu, aka Small, were arrested on January 19, 2018, at Ogojueje in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi and confessed to the police that Senator Melaye hired them to cause unrest in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Both suspects were due to be arraigned in court on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, when they escaped with four other inmates from a police cell where they were being held in Lokoja, Kogi's capital.

According to a report by Channels Television, a police source revealed that Saidu was arrested by detectives in Bauchi on Sunday, April 1, 2018, and taken to Abuja.

The source also disclosed that Saidu is the last to be arrested as all the others are already in custody. The other four are Aliyu Isa, Adams Suleiman, Emmanuel Audu and Musa Mohammed.

Kogi Commissioner sacked over jailbreak

Last week's jailbreak had led to a lot of controversy as Senator Melaye accused the police of releasing the two suspects and threatened to sue the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, for blackmail.

This came after the then-Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Ali Janga, said the lawmaker representing Kogi West senatorial district has been added to a watch list by Interpol for immediate arrest anywhere he is found.

The arrest order was in relation to his failure to honour an invitation to answer questions over the charge of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms against him.

In a statement signed by Force spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood, on Wednesday, March 28, IGP Idris ordered CP Esa Sunday Ogbu to immediately replace Janga after expressing dissatisfaction with the circumstances surrounding the escape of the six suspects.

13 other police officers were also detained and investigated for their roles in the escape.