Offa bank robbery: Police hits back at Saraki

The Nigeria Police have dismissed the statement from the Office of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, demanding probe the death of a sectional gang leader Michael Adikwu involved in the Offa Bank robbery in Kwara State.
Acting DCP Jimoh Moshood, Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, in a statement on Thursday indicated that the attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to the innuendo on the death of a sectional gang leader Michael Adikwu ‘M’ 30 years (A Dismissed Police Man and an Ex- Convict) who confessed to have killed 22 persons, including, pregnant women and nine Police personnel and eloped with 22 AK 47 Rifles at the Offa Police Divisional Headquarters during Offa Bank Robbery on the 5th April, 2018.
The Police responding to the statement by Yusuf Olaniyonu, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, on the case of Offa Bank Robbery for which five principal suspects are now standing trial in a State High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, maintained that the suspects who indicted the Senate President are still alive.
The Police stated that to correct the insinuations and wrong impressions created by the statement from Mr. Yusuf Olaniyonu, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Senate President in the minds of members of the public over the indictment and involvement of the Senate President Saraki in the case of the Offa Bank Robbery of 5th April, 2018, from the confessions of the five 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 33 innocent persons, the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, was indicted by the Five suspects who admitted in their confessional statements to the Police investigators that they were political thugs of Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Governor of Kwara State, Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed.
The Police insisted that the five gang leaders further confessed during investigation that they are political thugs under the name, Youth Liberation Movement a.k.a “Good Boys”; adding that they also admitted and confessed to have been sponsored with firearms, money and operational vehicles.
The Police indicated that Lexus RX 300 Jeep with Reg. KWARA, KWA 143 RM with inscription SARAKI on a sticker attached to the vehicle, and Mercedes Benz Compressor Reg. LAGOS, LT 496 KJA were used for the Offa Bank Robbery by the five gang Leaders. They noted that the first vehicle was later registered after the Offa Bank Robbery to divert attention while the suspects were in detention. “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 in the whole matter,” Moshood declared.
The Police highlighted: “It was also discovered during investigations that three gang leaders who participated actively in the Offa Bank Robbery – Ayoade Akinnibosun aka AY, Ibukunle Ogunleye aka Arrow and Adeola Abraham followed the Senate President Saraki to Oloffa’s Palace when the Senate President paid a condolence visit to Offa after the Bank Robbery.
“Further investigation into the matter revealed that all the Five gang leaders namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran have direct connection to the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki, as a picture of one of the five gang leaders when paraded by the Police was in ‘Aso Ebi’ (trouser) used during the Senate President daughter’s wedding. The Five gang leaders further admitted that they attended the Senate President daughter’s wedding held in Abuja.
“Consequent on all the above, a thorough and discreet investigation was concluded by the Police into the matter and all the Five 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 that indicted and implicated Senator Bukola Saraki, Senate President Federal Republic of Nigeria in the Offa Bank Robbery are alive and now in Court. “
Moshood further narrated that Michael Adikwu ‘M’ 30Yrs (A Dismissed Police Man and an Ex- Convict) who confessed to have killed 22 persons, including, pregnant women and nine Police personnel and carted away of 22 AK 47 Rifles at the Offa Police Divisional Headquarters during Offa Bank Robbery on the 5th April, 2018 was among the Three gang leaders captured on CCTV footage and later arrested. He maintained that Michael Adikwu was not paraded along with the five gang leaders now standing trial because he was taken out to arrest other members of the gang and recover the 22 AK 47 Rifles carted away during the Offa Bank Robbery.
The Force PRO also explained that Michael Adikwu was not murdered but slummed and died in detention while investigation into the Offa Bank Robbery was ongoing. “It is also important for the public to know that the deceased Michael Adikwu was not among the five gang leaders that indicted and implicated Senate President Bukola Saraki, therefore, his death cannot in anyway vindicate Senator Bukola Saraki. There is a post-mortem examination result in respect of the death of Michael Adikwu,” he declared.
The Police argued that the indictment of the Senate President from the confessions of the Five gang leaders arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery was not politically motivated as alleged by Yusuf Olaniyonu, Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, but purely criminal case.
The Police contended that human life is sacrosanct and where investigation has been concluded and suspects arraigned in Court, judicial process must be exhausted and not hindered for the law to take its course in ensuring justice for the families of more than 33 innocent persons, including pregnant women that were gruesomely murdered in cold blood by Michael Adikwu and the Five gang leaders arrested, investigated and currently standing trial for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery, than for any individual(s) or any group to attempt futile efforts and desperate distractions to pervert the end of justice is most unfair to the families of the deceased, the State and the society at large.