Police Invite Saraki over Offa Bank Robbery

* Claim arrested suspects said they were political thugs of the senate president and Governor Ahmed

The Police have summoned Senate President Bukola Saraki to report to the Force Intelligence Response Team office at Guzape, Abuja over Offa Bank Robbery of April 5, 2018.

A statement released on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer, ACP Jimoh Moshood, said five gang leaders and some of the 17 robbery suspects arrested had confessed that they were political thugs of Senator Saraki and Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.

Thirty three people were killed in the Offa bank robbery, including nine policemen. In that deadly incident on April 5, six banks were robbed. The robbers also attacked the Divisional Police Headquarters in the town.

In the statement released by the PPRO, Police said: “The investigation into the Offa Bank Robbery and gruesome killings of more than Thirty Three (33) innocent persons in Offa, Kwara State on the 5th April, 2018 directed by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni, 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 (5) gang leaders namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran and some of the other Seventeen (17) suspects arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery and the gruesome killing of thirty three (33) innocent persons which includes (some pregnant women and nine (9) 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.”

Police said during interrogation, the five gang leaders confessed that they carried out the bank robbery, the attack on the Divisional Police Headquarters in Offa and the killings of thirty three (33) innocent persons.

The statement said the five gang leaders confessed during investigation that they were political thugs under the name Youth Liberation Movement (a.k.a “Good Boys”).

They were also said to have “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.”

Police said, “In the course of discreet investigation into the confessions of these five (5) gang leaders and the other seventeen (17) principal 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 killing of the thirty three (33) innocent persons 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.”

Police added that, “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.”

Police also 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 in the Offa Bank Robbery and the killings of thirty three (33) innocent persons 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.

“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 Offa Bank Robbery and the killings of thirty three (33) innocent persons 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 (6) days before the registration of the vehicle.”

Police said investigation was ongoing and effort was being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large.

Noting that the Nigeria Police Force will continue to ensure that the rule of law prevails in every case under Police investigation and every offender is brought to justice, the statement said all suspects involved would be arraigned in court for prosecution on completion of investigation.

The Senate President and Governor Ahmed have yet to react to the claim by the Police.