Kibiru Sokoto the alleged mastermind and a renowned Boko Haram commander accused of masterminding the December 25, 2011 bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State, on Monday informed an Abuja Federal High Court that he was tortured while being interrogated by security agents.
While he was testifying in his defence at the continuation of his trial, Sokoto maintained that he was not guilty of the charges brought against him by the Federal Government.
Prosecution witnesses had informed the court that Sokoto voluntarily made a confessional statement, in which he admitted his membership, and role, in the sect.
But Sokoto on Monday told the court that he was tortured while he was interrogated.
He said he sustained injuries on his hand as a result of the torture.
He said, “They beat me until I could no longer move my hands. They beat me and asked me how I managed to escape from the police.
“They said, ‘if you don’t tell us the truth, we will torture you again’.”
Sokoto, who said he was an Islamic scholar and teacher, added that he did not have any information about the Madalla bombing as alleged by the prosecution.
But it would be remembered that this said sokoto was the same person accused of initially being arrested on January 14, and then dramatically escaped from police custody within 24 hours of arrest, while police investigators were taking him to Abaji, a suburb of Abuja, to search his house. It is a thing of surprise how an Islamic scholar with not terrorist backing could have pulled off this daring escape in the middle of the day