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OFFA ROBBERY: Police sings different tune, asks Saraki not to appear but reply to allegations in writing

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The Nigerian Police Force has rescinded its decision directing the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to physically appear before its operatives at Force Intelligence Response Team Office at Guzape, Abuja, but reply to allegations of supporting armed robbers in writing.

Saraki’s media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, gave indication to this development while addressing the media in Abuja on Monday.

The police is now requesting for Saraki’s written response on the allegation leveled against him within 48 hours.

The force headquarters had on Sunday summoned Saraki for questioning following claim that five of the suspects arrested over the April 2018 Offa bank robberies in Kwara State accused him of being their sponsor.

In an earlier tweet on Monday, Saraki said that he had sent his aide to the police headquarters in Abuja to obtain the letter of invitation from the police to enable him visit the force without delay.

However, in a later tweet on his Twitter handle same Monday, Saraki said, “Following my earlier tweet, I have received the letter from @PoliceNG . They are no longer asking me to appear at any station, but to respond in writing to the allegations within 48 hours — which I plan to do.”

This development is coming just as the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, on Monday refused to speak to newsmen after a meeting he had with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo supposedly on the issue of Saraki’s summon by the police.

The meeting which held behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, also had in attendance the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and Director- General of the Department of State Security, Lawal Daura.

When approached for comments by State House correspondents at the close of the meeting, Idris kept his mute, refusing to alter a word.

Saraki had in his response to the summit by police, accused Idris of being behind it as a new plot to embarrass him.

Read Also: Osinbajo may intervene as Saraki sends aide to get police letter of invitation

He had said, “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.”

Reports had also claimed that the DSS had recently withdrawn some of its men attached to Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

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