Saraki has been named as a person of interest by the police in the Offa robbery case that took place on April 5, 2018.
President Buhari has reportedly given the Inspector-General of police, Ibrahim Idris the go ahead to arrest the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
Saraki has been named as a person of interest by the police in the Offa robbery case that took place on April 5, 2018.
According to SaharaReporters, the Senate President and the Governor of Kwara state, Abdulfatah Ahmed have been named as sponsors of the dare-devil gang.
The suspects who were paraded by the police said that Saraki and Ahmed provided them with weapons, money and vehicles to run their operations.
Evidence against Saraki
The IG of police during his visit to Aso Rock, Abuja on Friday, June 1, 2018, informed Buhari of the alleged murder cases involving Saraki, numbering up to 20 and the President reportedly said that the law should be allowed to take its course as far as there was enough evidence backing the allegations, according to Premium Times.
Police statement
The police also issued a statement on Facebook explaining why it summoned the Senate President.
According to the force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, the ringleader of the Offa robbery gang, Ayoade Akinnibosun was arrested with a car registered in his name, that had the inscription- 'SARAKI' on its number plate.
Moshood also named some top Kwara state government officials closely linked to the Governor.
Saraki raises alarm
You will recall that the Senate President had earlier alleged that there was a plan by the Inspector-General of Police to link him with some cultists.
Saraki, on Wednesday, May 16, 2018, said that the cultists whose investigation had been completed and awaiting prosecution, have been ordered to be transferred to Abuja by IGP Idris.
He also revealed that the Kwara state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, disclosed the plan to him.
The Senate President however described the move as an act of desperation and intimidation capable of undermining the Nigerian democracy.
Saraki’s reaction
The Senate President, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said that he cannot be involved with armed robbers.
Saraki denied having any links with the Offa robbery suspects and called on Nigerians to disregard the claims made by the Nigerian Police Force, describing it as an attempt to implicate him by all means.
The statement: The attention of the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has been drawn to a story circulating online and apparently derived from a Press Conference addressed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Moshood Jimoh, linking him (Saraki) to the Offa robbery.
“Dr. Saraki will want the entire public to disregard this claim as a baseless allegation and another ploy by the Police to implicate him by all means. 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 by me, for him to come and offer explanations on the rampant killings and violence across the country.
"Like the earlier one, this frame-up will also fail as I hereby state categorically that I have no link with any band of criminals.
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"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."
DSS withdraws Saraki's security details
Also, the Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly withdrawn some of its operatives assigned to the Senate President.
The directive was issued from the agency’s headquarters with an order that it should be carried out with immediate effect, according to The Cable.
The DSS operatives attached to the House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara were also withdrawn.
The Senate President has however said that he will honour the invitation extended to him by the police.