by Kingseyi Thu Jul 26, 2018 6:18 pmThe Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has,
Thursday, finally met with a team of
investigators in his office over allegation he is
“directly linked” to the robbery that took place at
Offa, Kwara state.
Saraki
Dr. Saraki, during the interaction with the
investigators, reiterated his innocence in the
crime.
In a tweet, Thursday, by his Special Assistant on
New Media, Olu Onemola, Saraki said he had
nothing to do with either the robbery incident
nor any other criminal activities.
Read Also: Offa Bank Robbery: You Lack
Evidence Against Saraki, Malami Tells Police
According to the tweet, “”Further to the invitation
to the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola
Saraki, by the Police on July 23, 2018, and his
written response to them on July 24, 2018 on
why he could not see them that day — today at
about 1:40pm, the Senate President met with a
team of investigators on the Offa Robbery case in
his office.
“Dr. Saraki, used the opportunity to reiterate the
fact that he has nothing to do with either the
robbery incident on April 5, 2018, or any other
criminal activity.”
Recall that Saraki had written the Police,
explaining why he could not honour the force’s
invitation over the allegation.
Olu W. Onemola
@OnemolaOlu
Today at about 1:40pm, the Senate President
met with a team of investigators on the Offa
Robbery case in his office. Dr. Saraki used
the opportunity to reiterate that he has
nothing to do with either the robbery incident
on April 5, 2018, or any other criminal
activity.
16:09 - 26 Jul 2018
141 175 people are talking about this
In the letter, Saraki had said, “For the record, I
should mention that I received your letter at
8:30 pm on Monday 23rd July, 2018, inviting
me for the next day at 8am. The two lawyers
whose advise I needed were in Calabar and
Lagos and have to travel to Abuja today.
“As you are aware, the deputy president of the
senate was unable to leave his residence this
morning to preside over the senate having been
prevented from doing so by security agents. If
he had been able to preside over the senate, I
would have honoured your invitation.
“The absence of both presiding officers would
have voided the sitting of the senate. This would
have been damaging to national interest,
particularly in the light of very important
legislative matters that needed to be addressed
in view of the imminent recess of the national
assembly.
“These included consideration of the electoral
bill which was incidentally passed today. You
will recall that Mr President had earlier directed
as a courtesy to this office that in the event of
any request for further information from me, you
should either send your personnel to my office
or obtain a written response from me.
“I need to place on record as well, that following
the incident of being harassed and threatened at
my residence by the police early this morning,
I’m deeply concerned over my physical security.
“I request you therefore, to please assign your
personnel who need information on this matter
to meet me in my office immediately after
plenary, today or tomorrow or at any other day
at your convenience.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police, also on Thursday,
insisted that Saraki must report to the Force
Intelligence Response Team, Guzape, Abuja to
answer to the allegation.
The police also denied reports making the
rounds that the Senate President was
exonerated in the case based on report of the
Director of Public Prosecution, DPP.
Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood,
in a statement in Abuja, said the reaction
became necessary following an online media
reports to the effect that Saraki was exonerated
on the basis that “there was no evidence that
linked the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki
and Kwara State Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed to
the armed robbery attack that left 31 persons
dead in Offa, Kwara State, in April”,this year.
It said, “It is incumbent on the Force to educate
the writer of the story that the Director of Public
Prosecutions (DPP) of the Federation in the legal
advice did not restrain or restrict the Force from
investigating further, the indictments against the
Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki and the
Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfattah Ahmed by
the principal suspects arrested in connection
with the Offa bank robbery of 5th April, 2018,
“the statement said. It added that” the DPP
advice did not exonerate the Senate President, it
only called for further investigations into the
matter.”
The statement read full:” It is in the course of
further investigations into the case that a letter
of invitation dated 23rdJuly, 2018 was sent to
the Senate President to appear on 24th July,
2018 at 8.00am before the Investigation Team at
Intelligence Response Team office, Guzape
Junction, Abuja. ”
Consequently, the Force is hereby re-affirming
that the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki
has case to answer by virtue of the facts that the
statements submitted by the Senate President,
Sen. Bukola Saraki earlier to the Investigation
Team was not explicit and detailed enough, and
was discovered to require further clarifications
and interrogation, and coupled with the fact the
Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki in his
statement, claimed that the full text of the
statement of the suspects who indicted him in
their confessional statements to the Police was
not shown to him. It is therefore, imperative for
the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki to
report to the Police to make further statement
after sighting the full text of the statement of the
suspects.
“Furthermore, the Force wishes to inform the
media and the public that investigation is still
ongoing on the Offa bank robbery and the
indictment against the Senate President from the
confessions of some the arrested principal
suspects, and that, there is no political influence
or consideration in the matter.
“The media and the Police are veritable partners
in crime prevention, protection of lives and
property, and absolute compliance with the rule
of law. The media are implored not to allow the
pages of their esteemed publications be used to
misinform the public.”
Thursday, finally met with a team of
investigators in his office over allegation he is
“directly linked” to the robbery that took place at
Offa, Kwara state.
Saraki
Dr. Saraki, during the interaction with the
investigators, reiterated his innocence in the
crime.
In a tweet, Thursday, by his Special Assistant on
New Media, Olu Onemola, Saraki said he had
nothing to do with either the robbery incident
nor any other criminal activities.
Read Also: Offa Bank Robbery: You Lack
Evidence Against Saraki, Malami Tells Police
According to the tweet, “”Further to the invitation
to the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola
Saraki, by the Police on July 23, 2018, and his
written response to them on July 24, 2018 on
why he could not see them that day — today at
about 1:40pm, the Senate President met with a
team of investigators on the Offa Robbery case in
his office.
“Dr. Saraki, used the opportunity to reiterate the
fact that he has nothing to do with either the
robbery incident on April 5, 2018, or any other
criminal activity.”
Recall that Saraki had written the Police,
explaining why he could not honour the force’s
invitation over the allegation.
Olu W. Onemola
@OnemolaOlu
Today at about 1:40pm, the Senate President
met with a team of investigators on the Offa
Robbery case in his office. Dr. Saraki used
the opportunity to reiterate that he has
nothing to do with either the robbery incident
on April 5, 2018, or any other criminal
activity.
16:09 - 26 Jul 2018
141 175 people are talking about this
In the letter, Saraki had said, “For the record, I
should mention that I received your letter at
8:30 pm on Monday 23rd July, 2018, inviting
me for the next day at 8am. The two lawyers
whose advise I needed were in Calabar and
Lagos and have to travel to Abuja today.
“As you are aware, the deputy president of the
senate was unable to leave his residence this
morning to preside over the senate having been
prevented from doing so by security agents. If
he had been able to preside over the senate, I
would have honoured your invitation.
“The absence of both presiding officers would
have voided the sitting of the senate. This would
have been damaging to national interest,
particularly in the light of very important
legislative matters that needed to be addressed
in view of the imminent recess of the national
assembly.
“These included consideration of the electoral
bill which was incidentally passed today. You
will recall that Mr President had earlier directed
as a courtesy to this office that in the event of
any request for further information from me, you
should either send your personnel to my office
or obtain a written response from me.
“I need to place on record as well, that following
the incident of being harassed and threatened at
my residence by the police early this morning,
I’m deeply concerned over my physical security.
“I request you therefore, to please assign your
personnel who need information on this matter
to meet me in my office immediately after
plenary, today or tomorrow or at any other day
at your convenience.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police, also on Thursday,
insisted that Saraki must report to the Force
Intelligence Response Team, Guzape, Abuja to
answer to the allegation.
The police also denied reports making the
rounds that the Senate President was
exonerated in the case based on report of the
Director of Public Prosecution, DPP.
Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood,
in a statement in Abuja, said the reaction
became necessary following an online media
reports to the effect that Saraki was exonerated
on the basis that “there was no evidence that
linked the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki
and Kwara State Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed to
the armed robbery attack that left 31 persons
dead in Offa, Kwara State, in April”,this year.
It said, “It is incumbent on the Force to educate
the writer of the story that the Director of Public
Prosecutions (DPP) of the Federation in the legal
advice did not restrain or restrict the Force from
investigating further, the indictments against the
Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki and the
Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfattah Ahmed by
the principal suspects arrested in connection
with the Offa bank robbery of 5th April, 2018,
“the statement said. It added that” the DPP
advice did not exonerate the Senate President, it
only called for further investigations into the
matter.”
The statement read full:” It is in the course of
further investigations into the case that a letter
of invitation dated 23rdJuly, 2018 was sent to
the Senate President to appear on 24th July,
2018 at 8.00am before the Investigation Team at
Intelligence Response Team office, Guzape
Junction, Abuja. ”
Consequently, the Force is hereby re-affirming
that the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki
has case to answer by virtue of the facts that the
statements submitted by the Senate President,
Sen. Bukola Saraki earlier to the Investigation
Team was not explicit and detailed enough, and
was discovered to require further clarifications
and interrogation, and coupled with the fact the
Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki in his
statement, claimed that the full text of the
statement of the suspects who indicted him in
their confessional statements to the Police was
not shown to him. It is therefore, imperative for
the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki to
report to the Police to make further statement
after sighting the full text of the statement of the
suspects.
“Furthermore, the Force wishes to inform the
media and the public that investigation is still
ongoing on the Offa bank robbery and the
indictment against the Senate President from the
confessions of some the arrested principal
suspects, and that, there is no political influence
or consideration in the matter.
“The media and the Police are veritable partners
in crime prevention, protection of lives and
property, and absolute compliance with the rule
of law. The media are implored not to allow the
pages of their esteemed publications be used to
misinform the public.”
