The inspector general of police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris said he had ordered a ordered a thorough investigation into allegation of siege to residences of the senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Mr. Ike Ekweremadu, by men of the Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday.
It would be recalled that security operative cordoned off the residences of the two top lawmakers thus sparking condemnation by legislators of both chambers of the national assembly as well as prominent Nigerians.
But addressing the media late Tuesday, the force public relations officer, Mr. Jimoh Moshood said the police never deployed its personnel to the houses of the two senate presiding officers.
Moshood who read a prepared text while addressing journalists in Abuja said contrary to reports that the police deployed personnel to block Saraki as well as hold Ekweremadu hostage, nothing of the sort took place.
The text reads: “Further to the press release from this office early this morning on the above subject, where I mentioned that the Nigeria Police Force’s attention was drawn to the innuendos in the early hours of today, 24th July, 2018, that some police personnel were seen surrounding the residence of the Senate President in Abuja; the Force categorically stated that there was no authorised deployment of police personnel to besiege the residence of the Senate President or his deputy as reported in the media.
“The police personnel seen in pictures in the media were those in the convoy of the Senate President and others attached to him and his residence.
“However, the Inspector General of Police directed a thorough investigation to ascertain the facts in the episode.
“In addition to the early statement of the Nigeria Police Force mentioned above, the Force hereby wishes to reiterate that no police personnel was (sic) sent to besiege, blockade the residence of the President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Bukola Saraki.
“It is also absolutely untrue that the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki was harassed, threatened or intimidated physically or otherwise by any Police personnel either from the Force Headquarters or any other Formation of the Force.
“The Nigeria Police Force will not abdicate from its constitutional responsibilities of detection of crimes and criminalities, and will always treat crime as crime no matter who is involved.
“The Force remains focused and will not be distracted from carrying out a discrete and thorough investigation into the indictments of the Senate president, Sen. Bukola Saraki, from confessional statements of some of the Five (5) gang leaders arrested for their active participation in the Offa bank robbery and gruesome murder of more than 33 persons and snatching of 21 AK47 rifles on the 5th of April, 2018 by the gang leaders namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery and the gruesome killing of thirty-three (33) innocent persons.
“They also admitted 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, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed. The Five (5) gang leaders further confessed during investigation that they are political thugs under the name Youth Liberation Movement aka “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, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed.
“These confessions were made before the media and the public on the 3rd of June, 2018. It is therefore, evidently clear that the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki has case to answer, and it is consequent upon this that the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki was invited to appear before the Investigation Team at Intelligence Response Team Office, Guzape Junction, Abuja today, 24th July, 2018 which he refused.
“The members of the public are hereby implored to disregard and discountenance the report of the blockade of the residence, harassment and threat on his person in its entirety as untrue and misinforming.”
Meanwhile, the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Uche Secondus, has called on Nigerians to caution President Muhammadu Buhari, alleging that his actions are detrimental to the survival of democracy in the country.
Secondus, in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday concerning the siege to the houses of the senate leaders by security agencies, said it was unfortunate that President Buhari could allow such to happen under his administration.
He said it was bad that the President, who he said was a beneficiary of democracy in 2015, had allegedly done nothing but destroyed every fabric of democracy and the rule of law.
He alleged that the All Progressives Congress-led federal government was using the security agencies to overthrow the leadership of the national assembly in order to make it comatose.
“The APC government led by President Muhammadu Buhari is using state security apparatus like the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services and the Nigerian police to attack the national assembly with the aim of forcibly overthrowing its leadership and rendering the third arm of government comatose.
“The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki; his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu and other distinguished senators have been under severe assault from security agencies.
“It is now a known fact that democracy has now collapsed in Nigeria and we are now under a totalitarian and fascist government with no appetite for opposition.
“President Muhammadu Buhari is a beneficiary of democratic election into power and since he took over on May 29th 2015 he has done nothing but destroy every fabric of democracy and the rule of law.
“We hereby call on all Nigerians home and abroad to immediately speak up against this act of gross violation of the constitution of Nigerian and the attempt disruption of the democratic process and institutions by President Muhammadu Buhari and privatised members of the Nigerian security agencies,” said Secondus.
