The politics, intrigues of Offa robbery; Why Saraki may still be in deep trouble

But for the intervention of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Nigeria Police would have reined in President of the Senate of the Federal Republic, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on allegation that he provided logistics to the armed robbery gang that terrorized Offa killing some persons while robbing a bank.

Ripplesnigeria understands that embarrassed by the open invitation, by Jimoh Moshood, spokesmen of the Force, to Saraki to appear before its investigating unit at Guzape area of Abuja, the Vice President quickly caused a meeting to mitigate the situation.

According to our source, Osinbajo asked the Police to show some respect in handling the matter on the grounds that Saraki was still the nation’s Number 3 citizen.

It was learnt that the Vice President urged the police to seek a more respectful way to do its job rather than the brazen show of force which it was taking against Saraki.

Outcome of the intervention, Ripplesnigeria was told, was the change of mode by the Police which later asked the Senate President to respond to allegations against him in writing.

Our source also hinted that though there was credible evidence linking some of the armed robbery suspects to Saraki, there was no link between Saraki and the armed robbery operation at Offa in Kwara state.

“There are photographs showing Saraki and leader of the gang at a social event in Ilorin. It is obvious that some of them are known to him. But that does not suggest that he was involved in the operation.

“It is possible some of them may have worked as political thugs for him, as they claimed. But being political thug to someone is different from being involved in a robbery operation”, our source said.

On why the Police moved to embarrass Saraki with the open invitation, our source hinted that it may not be unconnected with the battle of wits between the Senate and the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

“How can he declare the IGP unfit to hold public office anywhere in the world? Now, the man is showing you that he also has powers to also embarrass you”, Ripplesnigeria was told.

However, in seeking to embarrass the senate president with allegation of link to criminal gangs, the Police seemed to have worked itself wrongly and given out much more than it could hide.

On May 16, Saraki alerted the Senate of an attempt by the Inspector General of Police to implicate him in a cult gang-related killing in Kwara state.

Addressing the senate plenary, Saraki quoted the Kwara state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, of disclosing to him of a plan by the IGP, Ibrahim Idris, to implicate him in an alleged murder case.

Senators debated the matter and some further disclosed that their police aides were being withdrawn by the Police headquarters.

On May 17, Governor Ahmed further disclosed that there was an attempt by the Police leadership to implicate Saraki in a murder case under investigation in Kwara state.

Following the alarm, Force Headquarters immediately responded and denied any such plot. Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, said: “Until investigation is concluded, any person (s) or group (s) who tries to interfere in the investigation process by action or utterances is committing an offence.”

He further said that “the suspects admitted and confessed before the press and the public to have killed 11 innocent persons in the state and other States of the country. The victims according to the suspects were targeted and killed on the instructions of their sponsors.”

“It is pertinent to state that, there is no vested interest by the Inspector-General of Police in the ongoing investigation into the several murders committed by this killer gang. Therefore, transferring this hired assassin gang masquerading as cultists in Kwara to Force Headquarters, Abuja, for further investigation is in accordance with Police investigation procedures. The Force will leave no stone unturned and will do everything within the ambit of the law to ensure justice in this matter, no matter whose ox is gored.”

Saraki had a momentary relief with the denial. But trouble was not yet over for him.

It did seem like the plot was weak and the police needed a stronger one which the Offa bank robbery seemed to have provided.

With arrest of persons involved in the Offa bank robbery, the Police also publicly declared that the accused persons had implicated the Senate President.

In furtherance to that, Jimoh Moshood, speaking at a parade of the accused persons, publicly declared that “the senate president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bukola Saraki,  is being invited by the Nigerian Police Force to report to the Force Intelligence Response office in Guzape, Abuja to answer to all the allegations leveled against him from the confessions of the five gang leaders namely, Ayoade Akinibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salaudeen Azeez, Niyi Oyediran and some of the other 17 suspects arrested for their active participation in the Offa bank robbery and the gruesome killing of 33 persons including some pregnant women and nine police personnel”.

The police released information, said to have been a confessional from the robbers, to the effect that they were political thugs of Saraki and his political son, Governor Fatah, and were provided weapons and vehicles by Saraki for political reasons. They were also quoted as saying that they deployed the weapons and cars given them by Saraki to the robbery incident.

Saraki had also taken to twitter to announce that he had ordered his aides to secure a formal invitation from the Police to enable him honour same with his presence.

After that, he made a new release responding to the linkage of his name to the Offa robbery.

Saraki said: “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.

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

“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. Abdulfatah 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 “.

However, previous efforts by the Police to link legislators who had not swallowed their voices against leadership of the country by Muhammadu Buhari, with murder, raised the suspicion bar on the Saraki invitation.

The Nigerian Police led by Ibrahim Idris, had shown itself as a veritable tool in the hands of the presidency against Saraki over his leadership of the Senate, which is seen as non-supportive.

Prior to this, the same Police had bared its fangs against Senator Dino Melaye, an outspoken critic of the government and a staunch ally of the Senate president. He was also accused, by same Police, of being accessory to the crime of kidnapping and gun running. He was similarly accused of proving alleged political thugs with fire arms and operational logistics. He is still in court seeking to prove his innocence.

Senator Shehu Sani, who has become a torn in the flesh of the Kaduna state governor, Nasir el-Rufai, had similarly been accused of murder and linked to a group of alleged criminals arrested and being investigated by the Kaduna state police command.

Senator Hunkuyi, also from Kaduna, had another form of treatment. His house was demolished by the Kaduna state government on excuse that it was built without approval and against masterplan of the state capital.

Despite the Osinbajo intervention, Saraki may still be in deep shit.

-By Femi Qudus…

 

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