Offa robbery: Police interrogates Saraki in Abuja

Operatives of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force, Thursday interrogated Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki over his alleged involvement in the Offa bank robbery incident.

The team of police officers were said to have interrogated Saraki in his National Assembly, Abuja office around 1.40 pm on Thursday.

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris (IGP), had on Monday written to request Saraki to appear on Tuesday morning to clear himself of allegation of involvement with five principal suspects in the Offa bank robbery investigation.

Saraki failed to honour the invitation but wrote to ask the IGP to detail his men to come to his office to interrogate him in his office as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Saraki wrote: “I wish to acknowledge your letter, ref CR: 3000/IGPSEC/ABJ/VOL.,131/707, dated 23rd of July 2018.

“For the record, I should mention that I received your letter at 8:30pm on Monday 23rd July, inviting me for the next day at 8am. The two lawyers whose advice I needed were in Calabar and Lagos and had 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 being 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.

Read Also: Saraki’s refusal to honour Police invitation disrespectful – Police

“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 am 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 any other day at your convenience. Thank you.”

Apparently in compliance to President Buhari’s directive that Saraki should either be quizzed in his office or asked to give written information, the IGP drafted his officials to go Saraki’s office to quiz him on the controversial robbery incident.

The Special Assistant on New Media to the Senate President, Olu Onemola, said in a Twit that Saraki met with a team of investigators on the Offa robbery case in his office.

The Twit read, “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.”

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