Offa Robbery: police make U-Turn ask Saraki to respond in writing within 48hrs

The Police have cancelled an earlier directive asking Senate President Bukola Saraki to report to the force Intelligence Response Team office in Guzape area of Abuja over allegations linking him to the April 5 Armed robbery attack in Offa, Kwara state  

Instead the police asked the Senate president to respond to allegations linking him in writing within 48 hours

The directive comes minutes after Vice President Yemi Osinbajo met behind closed-doors with the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, as well as the head of State Security Service, Lawal Daura, at the State House.

The police had said on Sunday that it would be inviting Saraki as five of the robbery suspects, reported to have confessed to the crime, indicted him.

The five gang leaders had claimed that they were political thugs of the Senate President and the Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State.

Police Spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, in a statement, said  33 persons including some pregnant women and  police officers were killed in the robbery attack.

“The Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki is being invited by the Nigeria Police Force to report to the Force Intelligence Response Team office at Guzape, Abuja to answer to the allegations levelled against him from the confessions of the Five (5) Gang Leaders and some of the other 17 suspects arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery and the gruesome killing of 33 innocent persons which includes some pregnant women and nine Police personnel,” the police statement read in part.

Despite the allegation, the Senate President has denied having any connection with the robbery.

In a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki described the allegations as “baseless” and “another ploy by the Police to implicate him by all means”.

According to him, when the incident happened, he was the first top public official to pay a visit to the place after which he also put a call through to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, to make the necessary security arrangements.

He 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.

Meanwhile, the Senate President has promised to send a written response to the allegations made against him by the Nigerian Police, linking him with robbery in Offa on 5 April.