Offa Bank Robbery: Abba Kyari Speaks On Offering 10M To Suspect To Implicate Saraki

Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari has debunked reports alleging that he offered N10m to implicate the former Senate president, Bukola Saraki in the Offa Bank Robbery incident that occurred in 2018.

Kyari’s statement came after Ayoade Akinrinbosun, a suspect currently on trial told the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Wednesday that he allegedly received N10m from the suspended cop to implicate the former Senate President.

Recall, the Offa bank robbery attack happened in 2018 which resulted in the death of over 17 persons including policemen.

The suspects were eventually apprehended by the police when Kyari was heading the Intelligence Team of the police and were arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on Criminal Conspiracy, Armed Robbery and Culpable Homicide.

On Wednesday in the ongoing case, Akinrinbosun claimed that he refused money inducement and visa from Kyari, adding he could not lie against Saraki.

“I told him I won’t do that. That I will rather die for what I didn’t do than to lie against an innocent man,” the suspect said.

Lies And Backtrack Confessions

But in a rebuttal on Thursday, one of Kyari’s counsels, Hamza Nuhu Dantani, in a statement on Thursday described the suspect’s testimony in open court as a lie and a backtrack on earlier confessions.

He added that the Offa Bank robbers voluntarily confessed that they were political thugs of Saraki, adding that when they were probed by the police they equally confessed that Saraki was not aware of the bank robbery.

“That is a fat lie. One can easily ask, where would Kyari get that kind of money to dash an Armed Robber in Custody when his salary and allowances for 3 years is not up to N10 million?

“If Kyari and his team did not have conscience, they could have easily coerced Akinrinbosun to sign a written false statement implicating anyone or by simply promising him soft landing but it is unethical and could not have stood in the face of probity in court of law.

“Kyari with his many years of experience did not at any time coerce or force anyone to implicate anybody no matter how highly placed.

“Rather, he discharged his responsibility based on laid down laws, rules of engagement and police service rules.

“They confessed that one of the Lexus jeeps used during the robbery incident was a dash from Saraki.

“These were the findings of the police investigation. All those involved in the Offa bank robbery were subsequently charged to court while some othersuspects that were discovered not to be involved were released,” the lawyer wrote.