The Nigeria Police Force has announced that Senate President, Bukola Saraki, is still under probe for his connection to the gang that killed 33 people during a robbery attack in Offa, Kwara State in April.
Nine police officers and at least 24 others lost their lives when a group of around 30 armed robbers attacked Union Bank, Eco Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, First Bank, Zenith Bank and Ibolo Micro Finance Bank, as well as the Owode Police Station in Offa, Kwara State, on April 5, 2018.
After 22 suspects were arrested in connection to the robbery, Police authorities had paraded the main gang leaders as Ayoade Akinnibosun (aka, AY), Ibikunle Ogunleye (aka Arrow), Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, and Niyi Ogundiran.
During the course of investigations, the main gang leader, Akinnibosun, named Saraki and incumbent Kwara governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, as his gang’s political sponsors. Days after the first parade of the suspects in Abuja, the police paraded the gang leaders again and disclosed that two more suspects had implicated the senate president as a sponsor of political thuggery.
Saraki was involved in a public spat with the Police in July after he was invited for questioining over the allegations. That spat has now resurfaced after the revelation this week that one of the prime suspects in the case died in Police detention while undergoing questioning.
Police authorities had revealed that Michael Adikwu, a former police officer who killed 22 people during the Offa robbery attack, slumped and died in custody, leading to public outcry as to the circumstances of his death.
In a statement by Saraki’s spokesperson, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the senate president called for an inquiry into the circumstances of Adikwu’s death. He also said his mysterious death proves that the authorities are simply using the robbery incident to politically sabotage him.
“We believe the answer to these questions will help the country to address the issue of human rights abuse, extra-judicial killing, manipulation of criminal investigation to achieve political end, deliberate attempt to cover up some facts and how skewed investigation of crime can impact on successful prosecution of suspects,” the statement read.
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