The minister of justice and attorney general of the federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, has said that neither the senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki nor the governor of Kwara State, Mr. Abdulfattah Ahmed has a case to answer regarding the armed robbery attacks in Offa, which claimed 33 lives, including nine police officers in April.
Malami who stated this in a letter dated June 22, 2018 and addressed to the inspector general of police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, noted that no evidence links Saraki Ahmed to the robbery and suggested that the police might uncover new facts against the duo if they widened their investigation.
The letter, which was signed for Malami by the director of public prosecution, Mr. Mohammed Umar reads: “For the Senate President and the Kwara State Governor, this office is unable to establish from the evidence in the interim report a nexus between the alleged offence and the suspects.”
However, the police insisted that the senate president and the governor are linked to the incidents on the grounds that the director of public prosecutions (of the federation, in the legal advice, did not restrain or restrict the Force from investigating further.
In a statement issued in Abuja by the police spokesman, Mr. Jimoh Moshood, the police said: “It is incumbent on the Force to educate the writer of the story that the director of public prosecutions of the federation in the legal advice did not restrain or restrict the Force from investigating further the indictments against the senate president, Senator Bukola Saraki and the governor of Kwara State, Abdulfattah Ahmed by the principal suspects arrested in connection with the Offa bank robbery of 5th April, 2018.”
Proceeding with the investigation, Saraki, was on Thursday, questioned by a team of police investigators at his office after he had stated that he would not honour the second police invitation as directed in a letter by the inspector general of police.
The special assistant to Saraki on new media, Mr. Olu Onemola said in a tweet that the senate president met with the investigators around 1.40pm Thursday.
“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 (Thursday) 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 that he has nothing to do with either the robbery incident on April 5, 2018, or any other criminal activity,” he tweeted.
