The Nigerian Police Force has invited Senate President, Bukola Saraki for questioning over the deadly Offa robbery.
Armed gunmen on the 5th of April attacked five commercial banks in Offa, Kwara State killing at least 17 persons, including police officers.
The Police in a statement by it spokesman, Jimoh Moshood said the Senate President was summoned to answer questions on allegations levelled against him by arrested members of the gang.
IGP Ibrahim Idris
“Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki is being invited by the Nigeria Police Force to report to the Force Intelligence Response Team office at Guzape, Abuja to answer to the allegations levelled against him from the confessions of the Five (5) Gang Leaders”.
The statement read: “namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran and some of the other Seventeen (17) suspects arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery and the gruesome killing of thirty-three innocent persons which includes (some pregnant women and nine Police personnel.”
In May,Saraki accused IGP Ibrahim Idris of plans to coerce suspected cultists to implicate him.
Saraki in a personally signed statement sent to Frontline News Online on Wednesday May 16, said the criminals who would be transferred to Abuja on the orders of the IGP, are also to make grave allegations against the Kwara State governor, Mr.Abdulfatai Ahmed.
Recall that the Senate has on different occasions invited Idris to speak on the state of insecurity in the country and the handling of the case involving Senator Dino Melaye.
The IGP in response to the Senate declaring him unfit to hold public office, accused the Red Chamber of blackmail.
Idris in a statement issued by Moshood, stressed he was being blackmailed by the senators.
This is even as he wondered why the Senate refused to meet with high ranking representatives from the force who responded to the summons from the lawmakers on his behalf.
Saraki’s statement read in part:
“Last night, my State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatai Ahmed revealed to me an information at his disposal that a group of suspects who had been in police cells for several weeks for cultism and whose investigation had been concluded with prosecution about to commence under the State law based on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and the Ministry of Justice were ordered to be transferred to Abuja this morning.
” According to the information available to the governor, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Idris Ibrahim directed the Commissioner of Police in Kwara State to immediately transfer the men to the Force Headquarters. The plan, as the Governor was made to understand is that, under duress, the suspects would be made to alter the statements they already made in Ilorin. They will then be made to implicate the Kwara State Government, and in particular, myself, in their new statement.
“This plot is part of the strategy by the IGP Idris to settle scores over the declaration by this honourable chamber that he is not qualified and competent to hold any public office, within and outside the country and that he is an enemy of Nigerian democracy based on his usual disrespectful conduct towards lawful authorities.
“In my own view, this plot is an act of desperation, blackmail, intimidation, abuse of office and crude tactics aimed at turning our country into a Police State where top officials cannot be made to obey the law, follow due process and subject themselves to constituted authorities.
” I want to bring this dangerous development to the attention of all of you my colleagues, the entire country and the international community so that you can be aware of the level of impunity in our country and the danger it constitute to our democracy”.
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