By Dansu Peter
Further details on the reasons why the Nigeria Police Force headquarters has invited the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki for questioning has surfaced.
Saraki to report at the Force Intelligence Response Team office at Guzape, Abuja to answer allegations against him by some of the suspects in the Offa robbery.
According to the Police, the suspects allegedly confessed during investigation that they are political thugs under the name Youth Liberation Movement a.k.a “Good Boys”.
They also allegedly admitted and confessed to have been sponsored with firearms, money and operational vehicles by the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki and the Governor of Kwara State, Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed.
The suspect went for the robbery in Offa with an operational vehicle with a car sticker in shape of number plate that had the inscription; ‘SARAKI’.
Giving an update of the investigation during their parade in Abuja on Sunday, the Force Spokesman said 22 suspects have so far being arrested for their alleged involvement in the robbery attack which left 33 persons dead, including nine policemen and some pregnant women.
13 of them were however paraded while the remaining were said to be out with the Police for further investigation.
The gang members who allegedly indicted the Senate President are; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran.
Ogunleye confessed to killing two persons, Abraham killed five persons, Azeez killed two persons, and Ogundiran killed two persons during the robbery.
Other suspects arrested are; The PA Political to the Governor of Kwara State, Alabi Olalekan and the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kwara State, Yusuf Abdulwahab.
“Michael Adikwu; Sectional Gang Leader, Killed 22 Persons mostly at the Police Station, Kabiru Afolabi, Omoseni Kassim, Kayode Opadokun, Kazeem Abdulrasheed, Azeez Abdullahi, Adewale Popoola, Adetoyese Muftau, Alexander Reuben, Richard Buba Terry, Peter Jasper Kuunfa, Ikechukwu Ebuka Nnaji, Moses Godwin, Adeola Omiyale, and Femi Idowu”
Items recovered from them include; “Two AK47 Rifles, Two Barrette Pistols, One Pump Action Rifle, One Revolver Pistol – In Police Custody in Ilorin, Lexus RX300 Jeep with Reg. No. Kwara, KMA 143 RM belonging to Ayoade Akinnibosun (Gang Leader) – Used for the Bank Robbery, Mercedes Benz – Compressor with Reg. No. Lagos LT496 KJA belonging to Ayoade Akinnibosun (Gang Leader) – Used for the Bank Robbery and One Toyota Prado Jeep with Reg. No. 19KWGH belonging to the PA Political to the Executive Governor, Kwara State – In Police Custody in Ilorin.
Other items are: “One Toyota Camry Saloon Car with Reg. No. LRN 481 FE – In Police Custody in Ilorin, N600,000.00 – In Police Custody in Ilorin, four Phones of victims recovered, One Sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony”
On the invitation of the Saraki, the Force Spokesman, ACP Jimoh Moshood said: “Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki is being invited to report to the Police to answer allegations indicting him from confessions of Five gang leaders arrested for active participation in Offa Bank Robbery and Killings of 33 innocent persons.
“Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki is being invited by the Nigeria Police Force to report to the Force Intelligence Response Team office at Guzape, Abuja to answer to the allegations levelled against him from the confessions of the five gang leaders.”
On the update into the investigation, Moshood said : “The investigation into the Offa Bank Robbery and gruesome killings of more than 33 Innocent persons in Offa, Kwara State on the 5th April, 2018 directed by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris has made significant progress, successes and more revelations have been recorded.
“The Gang Leaders and some of the principal suspects arrested for their active participation in the robbery and the killing of innocent persons have made confessional statements admitting to the various criminal roles they and their sponsors played in this dastard and heinous crime.
“The Five gang leaders namely; 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; 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 arrests of the suspects were made possible after the arrest of two principal suspects (Kunle Ogunleye aka Arrow 35yrs and Michael Adikwu an Ex-Convict) whose pictures captured by CCTV in one of the Banks during the Banks robbery were circulated to the media and the public.
“The two principal suspects confessed to be among the suspects led by the five (5) gang leaders to carry out the Offa Banks Robbery, the attack on the Divisional Police Headquarters, Offa and the killings of 33 innocent persons on the 5th of April, 2018.
“During interrogation, the five gang leaders confessed and volunteered statements that they carried out the Bank Robberies, the attack on the Divisional Police Headquarters in Offa and the killings of innocent persons during the robbery of the following six banks.”
The suspects robbed First Bank Offa, Guarantee Trust Bank Offa, ECOBank Offa, Zenith Bank Offa, Union Bank Offa, and Ibolo Micro Finance Bank Offa.
During the attack, the suspects were said to have carted millions of Naira from the Banks and 21 AK47 Rifles belonging to the Nigeria Police Force in the Armoury of the Police Divisional Headquarters, Offa.
On the involvement of Saraki, Moshood said : “The Five gang leaders further confessed during investigation that they are political thugs under the name Youth Liberation Movement a.k.a “Good Boys” admitted and confessed to have been sponsored with firearms, money and operational vehicles by the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki and the Governor of Kwara State, Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed.
“In the course of discreet investigation into the confessions of the 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 ‘M’ 37Yrs) during the bank robbery and the killings 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.”
On the involvement of the aides to the Governor, Moshood said : “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 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.”
The statement further reads: “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 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 said investigation was ongoing and effort is being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large.
The Police also said all suspects involved will be arraigned in court for prosecution on completion of investigation.
The Police also promised to continue to ensure that the rule of law prevails in every case under Police investigation adding that every offender would be brought to justice.
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