The Nigerian Prisons Service [NPS] has debunked reports that, Kabiru Dikko, mastermind of 2011 Christmas Day bombing, has been released by the Federal Government.

This was disclosed in a statement from the Prisons Service spokesman, Biyi Jeje.

Mr. Jeje states, “Please disregard the rumour. He’s still in prisons custody.” 

Mr. Dikko, also known as Kabiru Sokoto, was convicted in December 2013.

He was found guilty of plotting the car suicide bombing on St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, near Abuja. 

The assault led to the death of about 40 people.

The Nigerian media was earlier this week inundated with report that Dikko might have been released.

He was purportedly released as part of prisoners swap deal between the Federal Government and the Boko Haram sect. 

Boko Haram had demanded the release of its members held by the government in exchange for Chibok schoolgirls abducted by the group in 2014. 

While the Federal Government has indicated interest in a prisoners swap deal with Boko Haram, the modalities for this have yet to be made public. 

“There’s no truth in the reports claiming that Mr. Dikko had been released,’’ Jeje said on Tuesday. 

A senior Boko Haram operative, Dikko, was first arrested on January 1, 2012, by the police.

He, however, escaped from custody two days later when he was being taken to his residence at Abaji, Federal Capital Territory, for a search. 

He was re-arrested later at Mutum-Biu in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State in February 2012.

He was subsequently charged under Section 4(1) (a) of Terrorism and Prevention Act of 2011. 

An Abuja Federal High Court found him guilty of terrorism and handed him a life sentence on December 20, 2013.

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