The Police have summoned the Senate President, BukolaSaraki for involvement in the deadly Offa, Kwara State, robbery in which 33 innocent citizens were killed.
Sarakiwill be questioned for his alleged relationship with some suspects arrested in connection with the Offa robbery, Police Spokesperson, JimohMoshood, said on Sunday in a statement.
Consequently, Mr. Saraki has been summoned to appear before a police team in Abuja for interrogation, Moshood said.
Moshood said at least five of the 22 suspects arrested in connection to the April 5 attack on five banks in Offa, which also led to the killing of at least 33 people including nine police officers, confessed their allegiance to Dr.Saraki.
The Police spokesman said: “Senate President, SenatorBukolaSaraki 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 leadersLeaders, namely; AyoadeAkinnibosun, IbukunleOgunleye, Adeola Abraham, SalawudeenAzeez, NiyiOgundiran 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 thirt- three (33) innocent persons, which includes (some pregnant women and nine (9) Police personnel).”
The announcement came three weeks after the police transferred some criminal suspects on an unrelated matter to Abuja
The suspects made statements that they were political thugs of Saraki and the Governor of Kwara State, AlhajiAbdulfatah Ahmed. The arrests of the above mentioned Five (5) Gang Leaders and seventeen (17) others were made possible after the arrest of two principal suspects (KunleOgunleye aka Arrow 35yrs and Michael Adikwu an Ex-Convict) whose pictures captured by CCTV in one of the Banks during the Banks robbery were circulated to the media and the public.
The two (2) principal suspects confessed to be among the suspects led by the five (5) gang leaders listed in paragraph 2 above to carry out the Offa Banks Robbery, the attack on the Divisional Police Headquarters, Offa and the killings of 33 persons on the 5th of April, 2018. During interrogation, the five gang leaders confessed that they carried out the bank robberies and the attack on the Divisional Police Headquarters in Offa and the killings. Following banks (i) First Bank Offa (ii) Guarantee Trust Bank Offa (iii) ECO Bank Offa (iv) Zenith Bank Offa (v) Union Bank Offa (vi) Ibolo Micro Finance Bank Offa and (vii) the Divisional Police Headquarters, were robbed on 5th April, 2018. Millions of Naira from the banks and 21 AK47 Rifles belonging to the Nigeria Police Force in the Armoury of the Police Divisional Headquarters, Offa were admitted to have been carted away by the five gang leaders and the other seventeen (17) principal suspects during the Banks robbery.
The five gang leaders reportedly confessed and volunteered statements to the Police investigators, giving a clear account of how they planned and carried out the Banks robbery operation in Offa, the attack on the Police Division in Offa and how they killed the 33 innocent persons during the robbery. They further confessed during investigation that they are political thugs under the name Youth Liberation Movement a.k.a “Good Boys” admitted and confessed to have been sponsored with firearms, money and operational vehicles by the Senate President, Sen. BukolaSaraki and the Governor of Kwara State, Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed.
In the course of investigation into the confessions of the gang leaders and the other seventeen principal suspects, a Lexus jeep GX-300 (Ash Colour) with a sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” used by the gang leader (AyoadeAkinnibosun ‘M’ 37Yrs) during the bank robbery and the killing of the 33 innocent persons was taken to Government House, Ilorin on 16th May, 2018 where the sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” was removed before another plate number (Reg. No. Kwara, KMA 143 RM) registered in the name of AyoadeAKinnibosun the Overall Commander of the Offa Bank Robbery was then attached to the vehicle to cover up the identity of the said vehicle.
The exhibit vehicle was subsequently recovered from the premises of the Ministry of Environmental and Forestry in Ilorin, Kwara State. While the sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” removed from the vehicle was recovered from one AdeolaOmiyale who drove the said Lexus Jeep to Government House, Ilorin immediately after the Bank Robbery. The Personal Assistant (Political) to the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mr. AlabiOlalekan, who is privy to information that the Police is looking for the lexus Jeep as an exhibit used in the Offa Bank Robbery and the killings of 33 innocent persons directed one AdeolaOmiyale to relocate the Lexus Jeep to Government House, Ilorin.
The PA (Political) is currently in Police custody and has made useful statement assisting the Police in further investigation into the case. A revolver pistol and pump action gun were recovered by the Police Investigation Team from the Personal Assistant (Political) to the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mr. AlabiOlalekan’s Farm where he directed his brother to hide them after his arrest by the Police. Offa Armed Robbers Suspects Offa Armed Robbers Suspects In order to conceal evidence, the Chief of Staff to the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mr. Yusuf Abdulwahab who has been arrested and taken into Police custody, arranged the removal of the sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” from the exhibit vehicle and also registered the exhibit Lexus Jeep used in the Offa Bank Robbery and the killings 33 innocent persons in the name of AyoadeAKinnibosun, the overall Gang Commander of the Offa Bank Robbery while the AyoadeAKinnibosun was already in Police custody for more than six (6) days before the registration of the vehicle.
Investigation is ongoing and effort is being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large. All suspects involved will be arraigned in court for prosecution on completion of investigation. Meanwhile, the Senate President, Sen. BukolaSaraki 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 Gang Leaders, namely; AyoadeAkinnibosun, IbukunleOgunleye, Adeola Abraham, SalawudeenAzeez, NiyiOgundiran and some of the other Seventeen suspects arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery and the gruesome killing of 33 innocent persons which includes (some pregnant women and nine (9) Police personnel). The Nigeria Police Force will continue to ensure that the rule of law prevails in every case under Police investigation and every offender is brought to justice.
Twenty Two Suspects now in Police Custody – AyoadeAkinnibosuna.k.a AY ‘M’ 37Yrs – Gang Leader (Coordinated the Killings) From Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State. ii. IbukunleOgunleye ‘M’ 36Yrs – Gang Leader, Killed Two (2) Persons. From Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State iii. Adeola Abraham ‘M’ 35Yrs – Gang Leader, Killed Five (5) Persons. From Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State. iv. SalawudeenAzeez ‘M’ 49Yrs – Gang Leader, Killed Two (2) Persons. From Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State. v. NiyiOgundiran ‘M’ 37Yrs – Gang Leader, Killed Two (2) Persons (Latest Confession). From Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State. vi. Michael Adikwu ‘M’ 30Yrs – Sectional Gang Leader, Killed Twenty Two (22) Persons, mostly at the Police Station. vii. KabiruAfolabi ‘M’ 26Yrs – Principal Suspect viii. OmoseniKassim ‘M’ 28Yrs – Principal Suspect ix. KayodeOpadokun ‘M’ 35Yrs – Principal Suspect x. KazeemAbdulrasheed ‘M’ 36Yrs – Principal Suspect xi. AzeezAbdullahi ‘M’ 27Yrs – Principal Suspect xii. AdewalePopoola ‘M’ 22Yrs – Principal Suspect xiii. AdetoyeseMuftau ‘M’ 23Yrs – Principal Suspect xiv. Alexander Reuben ‘M’ 39Yrs – Principal Suspect xv. Richard Buba Terry ‘M’ 23Yrs – Principal Suspect xvi. Peter Jasper Kuunfa ‘M’ 23Yrs – Principal Suspect xvii. IkechukwuEbukaNnaji ‘M’ 29Yrs – Principal Suspect xviii. Moses Godwin ‘M’ 28Yrs – Principal Suspect xix. Adeolaomiyale ‘M’ 38Yrs from IsanluIsin Town, Isin LGA, Kwara State.xx. Femi Idowu ‘M’ 34Yrs xxi. AlabiOlalekan ‘M’ 49Yrs-PA Political to Executive Governor, Kwara State xxii. Yusuf Abdulwahab ‘M’ 58Yrs –Chief of Staff to Executive Governor, Kwara State.
EXHIBITS – i.Two (2) AK47 Rifles ii.Two (2) Barrette Pistols iii. One (1) Pump Action Rifle iv. One (1) Revolver Pistol – In Police Custody in Ilorin v. Lexus RX300 Jeep with Reg. No.Kwara, KMA 143 RM belonging to AyoadeAkinnibosun (Gang Leader) – Used for the Bank Robbery vi. Mercedes Benz – Compressor with Reg. No.Lagos LT496 KJA belonging to AyoadeAkinnibosun (Gang Leader) – Used for the Bank Robbery vii. One (1) Toyota Prado Jeep with Reg. No. 19KWGH belonging to the PA Political to the Executive Governor, Kwara State – In Police Custody in Ilorin viii. One (1) Toyota Camry Saloon Car with Reg. No.LRN 481 FE – In Police Custody in Ilorin ix. The Cash Sum of Six Hundred Thousand Naira (N600,000.00) – In Police Custody in Ilorin x. Four (4) Phones of victims recovered xi. One (1) Sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony.
However, Saraki has denied links with any of the criminals, says IGP out to implicate him. The Senate President has described as baseless claims by the Nigeria Police linking him to the Offa bank robbery, saying he has no link with any band of criminals. He, therefore, called on the public to disregard it.
Saraki, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), YusuphOlaniyonu, and which was made available to newsmen, described the claim by the police as a plot concocted to embarrass and implicate him by all means.
He said the claims was properly the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris’ idea and response after his refusal to honour the invitation by the National Assembly headed by Saraki to offer explanations on the rampant killings and violence across the country.
“The attention of the Senate President, Dr. AbubakarBukolaSaraki, has been drawn to a story circulating online and apparently derived from a Press Conference addressed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), MoshoodJimoh, linking him (Saraki) to the Offa robbery.
“Dr. Saraki will want the entire public to disregard this claim as a baseless allegation and another ploy by the Police to implicate him by all means. Let it be known that there is no way I could have been associated with armed robbery against my people.
“When the Offa robbery incident happened, I was the first top public official to pay a visit to the place and right there in the palace of the traditional ruler, I put a call through to this same Mr. Ibrahim Idris, the IGP, requesting him to make certain specific security arrangements as demanded by the people.
“Members of the public will remember that on May 16, 2018, I alerted the Senate about the information passed on to me by my State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatai Ahmed, over a plot by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to frame me up by getting some suspected cultists arrested in Ilorin to implicate me. It is believed that the timely leakage of the plot in that case aborted the use of the suspected cultists to implicate me. Now, it is the Offa bank robbery suspects that are about to be used.
“This plot is concocted to embarrass me and, in the mind of the IGP, it is his own response after his refusal to honour the invitation by the National Assembly, headed me, for him to come and offer explanations on the rampant killings and violence across the country.
“Like the earlier one, this frame-up will also fail as I hereby state categorically that I have no link with any band of criminals.
“As a person who has utmost respect for the rule of law and all constitutional institutions, when the invitation from the Police is formally extended to me, I will be ready to honour it without any delay.
“It is however sad that this abuse of the criminal investigation process aimed at intimidating and over-overawing the legislature, thereby obstructing it from doing its work, is a big threat to our democracy,” the Senate President stated.
