AFTER preliminary investigation into the bombing of the United Nations (UN) House in Abuja, the search for al-Qaeda bases has started in Chad and some key states in the North.
Some of the states are Borno, Bauchi, Yobe, Katsina and Kano.
It was also learnt that the search has the backing of the international community, especially the UN, which said last night that security would be tightened at its stations worldwide.
The Federal Government is yet to release the bodies of the victims of last Friday’s suicide bombing because FBI, CIA and other experts are probing the nature of the bombs used.
Many countries, including the United States (US) and Britain are collaborating with the Federal Government to rid Nigeria of terrorism, The Nation learnt yesterday.
Besides a close monitoring of the Boko Haram sect, the hunt for al-Qaeda agents will be extended to many parts of the North.
A top security source, who spoke in confidence, said: “It has been established that some religious extremists who have a strong link with al-Qaeda have established bases in the North under the guise of propagation.
“Security agencies are focusing on the North, but with particular emphasis on Borno, Bauchi, Yobe, Katsina and Kano states. The confessional statements of the three suspects arrested have given sufficient clues that these bases exist.
“But there is a suspicion that the al-Qaeda bases in the North may be feeder types with big bunkers in Chad and Mali.
“We are really mopping up and combing some Northern states where these bomb suspects have been operating from.
“The fact that the North shares borders with a few war-ravaged countries, like Chad, fuels the suspicion of infiltration of Nigeria by al-Qaeda members.”
There was an indication last night that the delay in releasing the bodies was at the instance of FBI, UN and foreign security experts probing the incident.
A source, who is part of the ongoing forensic examination, added: “These foreign investigators have sought to examine the lethal impact on the victims to determine the nature of the bombs used.
“They have established that the bombs used are not the types that Boko Haram members could handle, in view of the fact that most members of the sect are not highly-educated or sophisticated.
“They are actually working on a theory that some elite might also be behind the spate of bombings in the country.
“They seem to believe that the affected elite have been acquiring these lethal bombs and using agents to perpetrate the violence.”
A major shake-up in the nation’s security network is on the way, The Nation has learnt.
The looming changes, our correspondents gathered, may not be unconnected with the worsening security challenges facing the country.
A Presidency source said yesterday that the changes, which may sweep off some top security chiefs in the various agencies, may be announced by President Jonathan immediately after the Eid-el-Fitri holidays.
The source said that President Jonathan might have been convinced to make the changes aimed at injecting fresh blood and new ideas into the security network.
The source maintained that Friday’s bomb attack may have left President Jonathan with no other option than to overhaul the system.
Though the source tried to downplay the impending changes “as mere change of batons with nothing special about it”, it was gathered that they will be far-reaching.
Likening the attack on the UN building by Boko Haram to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre twin towers in New York, the source recalled that after the September 11 attacks, measures were taken to overhaul the security network.
The coming measures, according to the source, may also be a way to reassure apprehensive Nigerians and the international community that the Federal Government is on top of the security situation.