Police Invite Saraki, Arrest Kwara Gov’s Appointees Over April 5 Offa Robbery

The battle ahead for the soul of Nigeria is daily becoming murkier as the 2019 general elections draws closer, going by a statement by the Nigeria Police on Sunday inviting Senate President Bukola Saraki over the April 5, 2018 robbery incidence in Offa, Kwara State.
The incidence which led to the death of over 33 persons, including pregnant women and nine police officers resulted in the arrest of 22 suspects now in Police custody.
Saraki is being invited according to a statement by Jimoh Moshood, Assistant Commissioner of Police and Force Public Relations Officer, Abuja, based on confessional statements of five leaders of the gang for active participation in the robbery and killings.
Saraki was directed to report to “the Force Intelligence Response Team office at Guzape, Abuja to answer to the allegations levelled against him from the confessions of… Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran 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 statement assured that the Police “will continue to ensure that the rule of law prevails in every case under Police investigation and every offender is brought to justice.”
A list of the suspects in Police custody revealed that they ranged from 22 and 58 years, including two appointees of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State namely: Alabi Olalekan, 49-year old Personal Assistant on Political Matters to the governor; and Yusuf Abdulwahab, 58, Chief of Staff to the Governor.
The Police also listed exhibits recovered from the suspects to include various armunation and vehicles, as well as N600,000 cash and four phones belonging to the victims, among others.
The statement also recalled that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, ordered
investigation into the robbery and gruesome killings, following which more revelations and confessional statements have been made. The arrested gang leaders and some of the principal suspects, Jimoh continued, admitted to the various criminal roles they and their sponsors played in this dastard and heinous crime.
The gang leaders and some of the principal suspects, he noted for example, “admitted, confessed and volunteered statements 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 gang leaders and others were nabbed, following the arrest of two principal suspects identified as 35-year old Kunle Ogunleye (aka Arrow) 35yrs) and Michael Adikwu, (an ex-convict) whose pictures were captured by CCTV in one of the banks during the robbery incident.
“During interrogation, the five gang leaders mentioned further confessed and volunteered statements that they carried out the bank robberies, the attack on the Divisional Police Headquarters in Offa.”
They also confessed to the killings of 33 during the robbery of five bank branches and a Micro Finance Bank (MFB) in the town, namely: First Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, ECO Bank, Zenith Bank, Union Bank, Ibolo Micro Finance Bank Offa, as well as the Divisional Police Headquarters, Offa from where they carted away N5m, 21 AK47 Rifles from the Armoury.
The gang leaders, the statement continued, “confessed and volunteered statements to the Police investigators, giving a clear account of how they planned and carried out the banks robbery operation in Offa, the attack on the Police Division in Offa.”
They equally confessed to being “political thugs under the name Youth Liberation Movement a.k.a “Good Boys” admitted being sponsored with firearms, money and operational vehicles by the Senate President, and state governor.
“In the course of discreet investigation into the confessions of these five (5) gang leaders and the other 17 principal suspects, a Lexus jeep GX-300 (Ash Colour) with a sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” used by the gang leader (Ayoade Akinnibosun) during the bank robbery and the killing of the 33 innocent persons was taken to Government House, Ilorin on 16th May, 2018 where the sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” was removed before another plate number (Reg. No. Kwara, KMA 143 RM) registered in the name of Ayoade AKinnibosun the Overall Commander of the Offa bank robbery was then attached to the vehicle to cover up the identity of the said vehicle. The exhibit vehicle was subsequently recovered from the premises of the Min. of Environmental and Forestry in Ilorin, Kwara State. While the sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” removed from the vehicle was recovered from one Adeola Omiyale who drove the said Lexus Jeep to Government House, Ilorin immediately after the Bank Robbery.
“The Personal Assistant (Political) to the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mr. Alabi Olalekan, who is privy to information that the Police is looking for the lexus Jeep as an exhibit used in the Offa Bank Robbery and the killings… directed one Adeola Omiyale to relocate the Lexus Jeep to Government House, Ilorin.
“The PA (Political) is currently in Police custody and has made useful statement assisting the Police in further investigation into the case. A revolver pistol and pump action gun were recovered by the Police Investigation Team from the Personal Assistant (Political) to the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mr. Alabi Olalekan’s Farm where he directed his brother to hide them after his arrest by the Police.”
“In order to conceal evidence, the Chief of Staff to the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mr. Yusuf Abdulwahab who has been arrested and taken into Police custody, arranged the removal of the sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” from the exhibit vehicle and also registered the exhibit Lexus Jeep used in the Offa Bank Robbery and the killings… in the name of Ayoade AKinnibosun, the overall Gang Commander of the Offa Bank Robbery, while the Ayoade AKinnibosun was already in Police custody for more than six days before the registration of the vehicle.”
The Police spokesman assured that investigation is ongoing and effort “being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large,” assuring that all suspects will be arraigned in court for prosecution on completion of investigation.
Recall that the Senate led by Saraki has been at loggerheads with IGP Idris over his refusal to appear before the upper chamber for the repeated time, a situation that has been tagged arrogance on the part of the Police boss.
Saraki has also been touted as a possible candidate for the Presidency, an allegation he stoutly denied.

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