*Invitation attempt to embarrass me – Saraki
*Nobody must be above the law – Citizens
By Bashir Adefaka
The Nigerian Police Force in yet another invitation letter has asked the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki to report to the head of the Investigation Team handling the case, the Intelligence Response Team at Guzape Junction, Asokoro Extension, Abuja.
Saraki may have personally worked this fresh summon for himself following his letter of response to last month’s invitation letter by the IGP in which he not only denied knowing the thugs turned robbers but also told the IGP how his letter did not show full text of their statements.
According to the letter personally signed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Alhaji Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, the Kwara Senator is expected to appear before the Intelligence team on Tuesday, on 24th of July, 2018 at 8am for further investigation on the matter.
Although Saraki, in a swift reaction to the invitation letter, has described it as a mere political game, the seriousness of the current “reformed” Nigerian Police about ridding the country of insecurity no matter status of who is involved may have taken the one involving him beyond his thought.
This was as The DEFENDER gathered on Monday as many Nigerians fed up with seeing chaotic Nigeria having witnessed Taraba, Sokoto, Zamfara, Benue and Plateau killings have now resolved to stand with the IGP to go after whoever is found to be involved in crime of any type and in whatever capacity, adding that “nobody should be treated as being above the law”.
The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki stated that the invitation to him by the Police to report to a station in Guzape over the Offa robbery investigation is a mere afterthought which is designed to achieve political purpose.
Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, stated that he has it on good authority that the Police had already decided on the suspects to arraign in court in Ilorin, Kwara State on Wednesday based on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mohammed U.E. and that the turn around to invite him was a ploy aimed at scoring cheap political points.
” I have been reliably informed that the police invitation was planned by IG as a ploy to stop an alleged plan by some Senators and House of Representatives members from defecting from the All Progressives Congress (APC). It was also said that if I was detained between Tuesday and Wednesday, that will abort the so-called defection plan.
“While I continue to maintain that the issue of my position on the 2019 elections is not a personal decision for me alone to make, it should be noted that all these concoctions and evil plot cannot deter me. Those behind this fresh assault will fail as I have nothing to do with the robbery incident or any criminal matter for that matter.
“I am aware that following a request made by the Police on June 13, 2018 to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the Fedeeation had written a legal advice dated June 22, 2018, in which he stated on page 5, paragraph (f) that “For the Senate President and the Kwara State Governor, this office is unable to establish from the evidence in the interim report a nexus between the alleged office and the suspects”.
“The Police have obviously corrupted and politicized their investigations into the Offa robbery incident. They have turned it into an instrument for the party in power to suppress perceived opponents, witchunt issue for blackmailing people from freely choosing which platform on which they want to pursue their ambition and a matter for harassing the people whose exit from APC would harm the chances of the party in the forthcoming elections.
” I want to make it apparent that I have no hand in either the robbery incident or any criminal acitivity. The Police in their haste to embarrass me sent the invitation to me at 8pm and requested that I report to the station by 8am tomorrow morning. This obviously demonstrated their desperation as I do not see why they are now in a hurry.
“They also stated in today’s letter that because in my response of June 7, 2018 to their own letter written on June 4, 2018, I stated that I was responding simply to the contents of the letter and that the full text of the statement made by the arrested suspects which they claimed indicted me was not made available to me, they were now including the suspects statements in the current letter. Yet, instead of including the suspects’ statements, they only attached two copies of my own letter to the invitation. No suspects statement was made available.
“This plot aimed at compelling me and my associates to stay in a party where members are criminalised without just cause, where injustice is perpetrated at the highest level and where there is no respect for constitutionalism is an exercise in futility and it will fail.
“Once again, my confidence in God and our judicial system remains intact and unshaken. The truth shall also prevail in this case”, he stated.
Saraki did not however state in his reaction whether he will honour the Police invitation or not.
However, forces with the Police in Abuja confirmed to The DEFENDER that Saraki has nothing to fear as investigation is one of the ways to carefully separate the guilty from the nonguilty and that at the end of the day, judtice cannot be denied of anybody.
According to the new letter titled, “LETTER OF INVITATION: CASE OF OFFA BANK ROBBERY AND GRUESOME MURDER OF MORE THAN 31 PERSONS AND SNATCHING OF 21 AK47 RIFLES ON THE 5TH OF APRIL, 2018″, IGP Idris referred the Senate President to the letter referenced CR:3000/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL./130/571 dated 4th June 2018 and Saraki’s letter of response referenced NASS/8th/S/SP/IGP/15/6/18 dated 7th June 2018 “on the above subject matter (copies attached)” and then went on to restate the context for which his invitation has been imperative.
“Recall that the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT)is investigating a case of Armed Robbery which occurred on the 5th of April, 2018 during which a gang of dare devil Armed Robbers, stormed Offa, Kwara State and attacked a Police Station, robbed six Banks namely First Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, ECO Bank, Zenith Bank, Union Bank and Ibolo Micro Finance Bank, killed over thirty one(31) Persons including nine Police officers and pregnant women and snatched twenty(21)AK47 rifles.
“During the investigation of the Armed Robbery by the Intelligence Response Team, a CCTV footage of the Armed Robbery in one of the banks, captured the image of two persons. The CCTV footage was circulated on the social media and this led to their identification as Kunle Ogunleye and Micheal Adikwu. The two persons were tracked and arrested by the Police and they made very useful statements and named the five gang leaders who organized the Armed Robbery.
“Some of the five gang leaders made confessional statements admitting their participation in this worst Armed Robbery in the history of Nigeria and that they are political thugs under the name, Youth Liberation Movement aka ‘Good boys’ allegedly sponsored by you and that you have given them firearms, money and vehicles. It was equally discovered that one of the vehicles, a Lexus Jeep,used by the gang leader (Ayoade Akinnibosun) has a sticker plate number “‘SARAKI’ Kwara State of Harmony”.
“The Lexus Jeep was parked in the Government House after the arrest of Ayoade Akinnibosun and in order to conceal evidence, the Chief of Staff to the Executive Governor of Kwara State, arranged for the removal of the sticker plate number “SARAKI Kwara State of Harmony” from the Lexus jeep and quickly registered it in the name of the suspect, six days after the suspect has been arrested by the Police.
“Specifically Mr Ayoade Akinnibosun ‘m’ 27 Years in his Confessional Statement stated that “members of his group are Political Thugs working for Senator Bukola Saraki and Governor of Kwara State”. That he is the head of the Political Thugs named Youths Liberation Movement covering about seven (7) Local Governments Areas of Kwara South. That he gets vehicle and monetary gifts etc from Senator Bukola Saraki through the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kwara State; that the last money he got directly from Senator Bukola Saraki was Five Hundred Thousand (N500,000) Naira. He made mention of some other thugs in Kwara Central with guns which Senator Bukola Saraki is sponsoring as Alhaji Alawo, Alhaji Dona, Alhaji Jawando among others, that Senator Bukola Saraki supplies the arms and vehicles to the thugs; that everyone in Kwara Central fear them because of their guns and ability to kill anybody without hesitation”. Furthermore the suspect Ayoade Akinnibosun stated that the date you Senator Saraki visited Offa in sympathy with the victims to the Palace of the Oba, that he and two other gang members were with you in the convoy.” IGP restated.
He pointed out in the Saraki’s letter of response to the allegations, quoting him to have said that, “by virtue of my participation in politics, I have a large followership which makes it impossible for me to know all of them. I can say categorically that I am in no way associated with the vehicle mentioned in your letter nor have I given any arms to any thug or other persons in kwara State or anywhere else. For the records, your letter under reference did not include the full text of the statements made by the accused persons”.
The IGP said, “After a careful perusal of your letter to the Police, it was discovered that the statement requires further clarification and coupled with the fact that you stated that the full text of the statements of the suspects were not shown to you, it is imperative you report to the Police to make further statements after giving you the full text of the statements of the suspects.”
In what appears therefore to have necessitated his fresh summon, the Police stated in the new letter to the Senate President that, “It is in line with the above that you are requested to report to the head of the Investigation Team at the Intelligence Response Team at Guzape Junction, Asokoro Extension, Abuja on 24th of July, 2018 at 8am for further investigation on the matter.l Pease as always, accept my warm regards and high esteem.”
