by Akan Ido

The Kogi State commissioner of Police, Mohammadu Katsina, and the former chairman of DAAR Communications, Mr. Tom Adaba, have absolved the militant group, Boko Haram, from the attack which recently took place at a Deeper Life Bible Church at Otite, near Okene, which claimed 20 lives.

Adaba viewed the attack as the work of disgruntled elements who were enraged at being sidelined in the regular illegal disbursement of funds by the chairman of the local government.

He maintained that the real target of the gunmen was the caretaker chairman of the Okene Local Government Area who was accused of removing their names from the payroll.

According to the respected broadcast media guru, the church attack was just a ploy to distract security operatives and give their actions a religious undertone.

Adaba said: “I refuse to agree that the sect called Boko Haram or any other religious group perpetrated it. I strongly believe that the killings were carried out by political thugs.”

“Why they went to attack the church, I honestly cannot understand. I think it was meant to give it a taste of religious confrontation,” he posited.

Meanwhile, in his own assessment of the church attack, the police commissioner said it was carried out by political thugs in the area.

He said it was carried out by “boys from Okene” and there is no evidence connecting the attack with the dreaded Boko Haram Islamic sect. He disclosed that four of the men suspected to have carried out the attack have been apprehended and are already helping the police with its investigation.

According to the Leadership Newspapers, Adaba disclosed that one of the AK-47 rifles used in killing the church members has been retrieved and men under his command are on the trail of the remaining suspects wherever they may be hiding.