Police Invitation, Another Ploy To Implicate Me – Saraki

Senate President Bukola Saraki & IGP Ibrahim Idris (Photo Credits: Vanguard Ngr)

In response to the invitation by the Nigeria Police over the April 5, 2018 Offa bank robbery, he Senate President Bukola Saraki has called on the members of the Public to disregard this claim as a baseless allegation and another ploy by the Police to implicate him by all means.

According to a Press statement made available to Naija News, and signed by his Special Assistance of Media and Publicity Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki denied sponsoring armed robbers against his own people, adding that there is no link between himself and the robbers.

Let it be known that there is no way I could have been associated with armed robbery against my people. When the Offa robbery incident happened, I was the first top public official to pay a visit to the place and right there in the palace of the traditional ruler, I put a call through to this same Mr. Ibrahim Idris, the IGP, requesting him to make certain specific security arrangements as demanded by the people.

“Members of the public will remember that on May 16, 2018, I alerted the Senate about the information passed on to me by my State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatai Ahmed, over a plot by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to frame me up by getting some suspected cultists arrested in Ilorin to implicate me. It is believed that the timely leakage of the plot in that case aborted the use of the suspected cultists to implicate me. Now, it is the Offa bank robbery suspects that are about to be used.

“This plot is concocted to embarrass me and, in the mind of the IGP, it is his own response after his refusal to honour the invitation by the National Assembly, headed me, for him to come and offer explanations on the rampant killings and violence across the country.” he said.

Saraki said that he would be ready to honour any invitation extended to him by the Nigeria police, adding that any conspiracy to implicate him would fail.

“As a person who has utmost respect for the rule of law and all constitutional institutions, when the invitation from the Police is formally extended to me, I will be ready to honour it without any delay.

“It is however sad that this abuse of the criminal investigation process aimed at intimidating and over-overawing the legislature, thereby obstructing it from doing its work, is a big threat to our democracy “, the Senate President stated.