Saraki Blows Hot As IGP Summons Him Over Offa Robbery

Senate President Bukola Saraki has described his latest summon by the Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police (IGP), as a ploy to distract some senators plotting to defect from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Idris had asked the Senate President to appear at the office of intelligence response team (IRT) in Abuja over the robbery incident that took place in Offa, Kwara state, in April.

In a letter dated July 23 and addressed to the senate president, Idris asked Saraki to be at IRT’s office at 8am on Tuesday “for further investigation”.

The IGP said some of the gang leaders alleged that Saraki gave them arms and money.

But in a lengthy response, Saraki, who denied any involvement in the robbery attack, said the police have “obviously corrupted and politicised their investigations into the Offa robbery incident.”
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In the statement issued by Yusuph Olaniyonu, his spokesman, Saraki said any attempt to compel him to stay in a party where its members are criminalized without just cause “is an exercise in futility and it will fail”.

“They have turned it into an instrument for the party in power to suppress perceived opponents, witchunt issue for blackmailing people from freely choosing which platform on which they want to pursue their ambition and a matter for harassing the people whose exit from APC would harm the chances of the party in the forthcoming elections,” the statement read.

“I want to make it apparent that I have no hand in either the robbery incident or any criminal acitivity. The police in their haste to embarrass me sent the invitation to me at 8pm and requested that I report to the station by 8am tomorrow morning. This obviously demonstrated their desperation as I do not see why they are now in a hurry.

“They also stated in today’s letter that because in my response of June 7, 2018 to their own letter written on June 4, 2018, I stated that I was responding simply to the contents of the letter and that the full text of the statement made by the arrested suspects which they claimed indicted me was not made available to me, they were now including the suspects statements in the current letter. Yet, instead of including the suspects’ statements, they only attached two copies of my own letter to the invitation. No suspects statement was made available.

“This plot aimed at compelling me and my associates to stay in a party where members are criminalised without just cause, where injustice is perpetrated at the highest level and where there is no respect for constitutionalism is an exercise in futility and it will fail.

“Once again, my confidence in God and our judicial system remains intact and unshaken. The truth shall also prevail in this case.”