Offa Robbery: Police Insist Saraki Must Appear, Deny Withdrawing Invitation
The Police, Wednesday, denied that it withdrew its earlier invitation to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to appear before the Force Intelligence Response Team, in Abuja, to answer questions following his alleged involvement in Offa banks robbery and the gruesome killings of over 33 people in Kwara State by some political thugs loyal to him.
The police insisted that contrary to the claim by the Senate President that its invitation to him had been withdrawn, nothing as such has emanated from it.
To this end, it insisted that the Senate President must appear before the Force Intelligence Response Team, at Guzape, Abuja, to respond to allegations of his involvement in the operations.
The development came as leader of the suspected gang that carried out the operations, Ayoade Akinnibosun, told journalists Wednesday, that the Senate President was not aware of their dastardly acts contrary to insinuation to that effect.
Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood,at a media briefing where he re-paraded the Offa banks robbery suspects, added that Saraki going by confessional statements obtained from the suspects was culpable in the robbery and killings and therefore, has case to answer.
But he did not give deadline to the Senate President to appear before the police investigation team even as he remained evasive on possible action against the Senate President if he fails to appear as directed.
Moshood, who disclosed that additional two suspects in connection with the acts have been nabbed by the police and have made confessional statements in custody, where they are being held implicating the Senate President in the banks robbery.
In a veiled response to accusation from the National Assembly that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, was framing perceived opponents of President Muhammadu Buhari with criminal cases and consequent vote of no confidence of the police boss last Tuesday, Mr Moshood said the police will not be cowed or succumb to intimidation from any quarter.
Hear him:”The Nigeria Police Force will not be cowed or succumb to intimidation from any quarter in carrying out a thorough and discreet investigation into the Offa banks robbery where significant successes have been recorded.
“The ongoing investigation will be driven to a logical conclusion. “The Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki is still under investigation in connection to the Offa banks robbery and the Nigeria Police Force will do everything possible within the ambit of the law to ensure that justice is done in this case.”
However, the leader of the suspected gang, Ayoade Akinnibosun, told journalists that the Senate President was not aware of their dastardly acts, saying they were merely political thugs of both the Senate President and the Kwara State governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed.
