Offa robbery: How Federal DPP cleared Saraki

Following the fresh charges filed in the Ilorin High Court by the Kwara State government against former Senate president, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and his successor as governor of Kwara State on the Offa robbery incident, fresh facts have emerged on why the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mr. E. U. (Etsu Umar) Mohammed, gave the duo a clean bill of health.

Documents available to the Nigerian Tribune indicated that the DPP pored over a 16-page police report prepared and signed by Mr Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, who headed the IGP Intelligence Response Team (IGP-IRT) at the Force Headquarters, Abuja which investigated the 5th April 2018 multiple bank robbery attack in Offa town, Kwara State.

The DPP in his first report dated June 22nd, 2018 and signed on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, prepared a five page legal advice in which he noted in paragraph 5 (f) that “for the Senate President (Saraki) and the Kwara State governor (Ahmed), his office is unable to establish from the evidence in the interim report a nexus between the alleged offence and the suspects. Hence, it is our advice that further and thorough investigation in this regard be carried out.”

Following the submission of a second report by the police investigating team to his office on July 27, 2018, the DPP prepared a second legal advice which was dated 23rd August, 2018. The three-page legal advice also has only three paragraphs.

In paragraph 3 (vi), he noted that “with regards to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, since there is no departure from the earlier findings in the interim report, this office is still unable to establish any prima facie case against him for any offences of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, and culpable homicide punishable with death.”

Both legal advices had recommended six people for prosecution. They are: Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Ibrahim, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran, and Michael Adiukwu. One of the suspects, Michael Adiukwu, later died in police custody while the other five had since been tried at the High Court in Ilorin.

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During the trial, the suspects revealed how they were coerced into incriminating Senator Bukola Saraki. They mentioned several inducements dangled before them, including money and the promise of a visa to travel out of the country.

The suspects have since been convicted and their convictions confirmed by the Court of Appeal. The matter is now pending before the apex court, the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the elders caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara Central has cautioned the former Senate president against politicising a case pending before a competent court of jurisdiction.

The APC caucus was reacting to the media reports by the former Senate president and his supporters on the fresh charges preferred against him by the Kwara State government on the 2018 Offa bank robbery.

The group issued the warning in a statement signed by its public relations officer, Sulaiman Sheu AbdulSalam (Cement)

The caucus urged Saraki to go to the court and clear his name instead of resorting to media campaign.

It added that no matter the level of media propaganda, the court remains the only place that could adjudge Saraki guilty or otherwise.

The caucus praised the state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for his interest in defending the interest of the common man, which necessitated the filing of the charges against Saraki and former Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed.

It noted that the governor’s decision would ensure justice for the families of the victims of the bloody Offa bank robbery and serve as deterrent to political office holders who think they are above the law when in power.

While dismissing the sentiment being expressed by some people on the timing of filing the charges against Saraki, the Caucus said people should allow justice to take its cause at any time to ensure decorum and public safety.