The Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, on Thursday revealed that suspected members of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, arrested so far were mere "foot soldiers."



The IG said security agencies lacked evidence to apprehend the leaders of the sect.

"So far we have arrested hundreds of them but that is not the issue, these people, to my mind, are just the foot soldiers and we need to get strong evidence through the cooperation of members of the public so that we will be able to get to the leaders, masters and organisers of these people," Ringim told journalists at the end of an emergency meeting President Goodluck Jonathan held with service chiefs on Thursday.

He said the President summoned the service chiefs to review the state of insecurity in the country vis-à-vis the spate of bombings on Christmas day.

In attendance at the meeting were the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ola Ibrahim; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Umar; Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim; and the Director-General, State Security Service, Mr. Ita Ekpenyong.

Others at the meeting were the National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi (rtd.); and the Minister of Police Affairs, Capt. Caleb Olubolade (retd.).

At the end of the meeting, Petinrin told State House correspondents that the President had taken "some drastic decisions" that would be communicated to the public later. He declined further comments.

Azazi refused to talk to journalists, saying he spoke to them only on Monday.

But the IG said because terrorism was a new phenomenon in the country, security agencies were all on their feet to face the situation squarely, adding that a lot of achievements had since been recorded without the knowledge of the public.

He stressed the need for all Nigerians to join security agencies in the fight against what he called the "cankerworm" in order to apprehend the real mastermind.

Ringim urged Nigerians, especially Christians, to discountenance the information going round that more attacks would be carried out on New Year’s Eve, saying the Nigeria Police was up to the task.

He said, "I assure you we are doing our possible best. We are prepared more than ever before and I want to assure you that if we had not done what we did in Yobe, if we had not done what we did in Kaduna, indeed if the Nigerian Police Force had not done what we did in Kano, the recovery of the primed-up suicide bombing vehicles, the story would have been a different one.

"l assure members of the public that the Nigeria Police Force and indeed all other security agencies are now ready more than ever before to face these challenges.

"The arrest of these terrorists has been going on for a long time. Many of them have been arrested and many of them are in detention. They are in the process of being prosecuted."

Ringim said members of Boko Haram were not attacking only Christians.

He said they had been attacking everyone that came their way, including members of the armed forces, policemen and members of other security agencies that include Muslims and Christians.

Members of Boko Haram on Sunday attacked some churches in Niger, Yobe and Plateau states, killing many and injuring many others.

In the attack on St. Theresa’s Church, Mandalla, Niger State, at least 35 parishioners of the church were killed including the entire members of three families who had attended Christmas mass.

http://www.punchng.com/index.php/news/item/9347-boko-haram-we-have-arrested-only-foot-soldiers-says-ig

Lol are they telling us that the winged and ghost soldiers cant be caught?

Bunch of liars

So what does he want us to do about his failures?

Arrest the kingpins damn it!