Offa robbery: Police tell Saraki prosecution inevitable

The Nigerian Police Force has pointedly told Senate President Bukola Saraki not to entertain any sense of relief over the death of Michael Adikwu, a major suspect arrested in connection with the deadly multiple robberies in Offa last April.
Police said the five suspects arraigned in court in Ilorin, Kwara State, had already given them enough clues about Saraki’s involvement in the robberies and they were determined to prosecute him.

Police gave this position in a response to the statement by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Senate President Bukola Saraki’s spokesman.

Olaniyonu called for a probe of Adikwu’s death.

But the police appeared to have ruled out a probe of the death, saying that the the 30 year-old suspect slumped and died in detention.

“There is a post-mortem examination result in respect of the death of Michael Adikwu”, police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood said.

In any case, he went further, Adikwu’s death did not exculpate the Senate President, who was allegedly indicted by the five suspects now on trial in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Adikwu was a dismissed policeman, who in the course of interrogation admitted killing 22 persons, including pregnant women and nine policemen, police claimed. He was also the man who led the police to the other suspects and the recovery of 22 AK 47 Rifles carted away from the police.

“The law must take its course”, the police said, as they insisted that the arraigned suspects will provide enough testimony to prosecute the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki.

The Police also dismissed political motive in the case they have against Saraki and explained why they were determined to prosecute Saraki for the crime committed.

“It should be of serious concern to all, that human life is sacrosanct and where investigation has been concluded and suspects arraigned in Court, judicial process must be exhausted and not hindered for the law to take its course in ensuring justice for the families of more than 33 innocent persons including pregnant women that were gruesomely murdered in cold blood”.

Here is the edited version of the police statement:

“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to the innuendo in the media on the death of a sectional gang leader Michael Adikwu ‘M’ 30Yrs, a dismissed policeman and an ex- convict, who confessed to have killed Twenty Two (22) persons including pregnant women and Nine Police personnel and carted away of 22 AK 47 Rifles at the Offa Police Divisional Headquarters during Offa Bank Robbery on the 5th April, 2018. It is therefore imperative that the Nigeria Police Force respond to the publication and set the record straight.

“The Nigeria Police Force is conversant and mindful of contempt of Court in commenting on cases already before the Court of competent jurisdiction.

“However, the Force is constrained and compelled to respond to the statement from Mr. Yusuf Olaniyonu, Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and not on the Court processes and proceedings on the case of Offa Bank Robbery for which Five principal suspects are now standing trial in a State High court in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The police insisted that the five suspects now in court—Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery and the gruesome killing of 33 innocent persons, indicted the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki.

“The Five suspects admitted in their confessional statements to the Police investigators that they were political thugs of the Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Bukola Saraki and the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed.

“The Five (5) gang leaders further confessed during investigation that they are political thugs under the name Youth Liberation Movement a.k.a “Good Boys” they also admitted and confessed to have been sponsored with firearms, money and operational vehicles, such as a Lexus RX 300 Jeep with Reg. KWARA, KWA 143 RM with inscription SARAKI on a sticker attached to the vehicle and Mercedes Benz Compressor Reg. LAGOS, LT 496 KJA.

“These two Vehicles were used for the Offa Bank Robbery by the five gang Leaders. The first vehicle was later registered after the Offa Bank Robbery to divert attention while the suspects were in detention.

“These confessions were made before the media and the public on the 3rd of June, 2018. It is therefore, evidently clear that the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki has case to answer in the whole matter.

“It was also discovered during investigations that three gang leaders who participated actively in the Offa Bank Robbery, Viz: Ayoade Akinnibosun aka AY, Ibukunle Ogunleye aka Arrow and Adeola Abraham followed the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki to Olofa’s Palace when the Senate President paid a condolence visit to Offa after the bank robbery.

“Further investigation into the matter revealed that all the Five gang leaders namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran have direct connection to the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki as a picture of one of the five gang leaders when paraded by the Police was in ‘Aso Ebi’ (trouser) used during the Senate President daughter’s wedding.

“The Five gang leaders further admitted that they attended the Senate President daughter’s wedding held in Abuja.

“Consequent on all the above, a thorough and discreet investigation was concluded by the Police into the matter and all the five gang leaders arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery that indicted and implicated Senator Bukola Saraki, Senate President in the Offa Bank Robbery are alive and now in Court”.