Information reaching us right now has it that Senate President Bukola Saraki has been blocked by the police this morning from leaving the street where he lives.
The incident took place on Tuesday, July 24, 2018 at Lake Chad junction, Abuja as he was on his way to report to the police headquarters upon his invitation.
It would be recalled that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris on Monday July 24, 2018 asked the lawmaker to appear at the office of Intelligence Response Team (IRT) office in Abuja, over the robbery incident that took place in Offa, Kwara State, in April.
The IGP had on Monday written a letter addressed to Saraki, asking him to report at IRT’s office at 8am on Tuesday for further investigation.”
In his reaction, Senator Bukola Saraki through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, stated; “I have been reliably informed that the police invitation was planned by IG as a ploy to stop an alleged plan by some Senators and House of Representatives members from defecting from the All Progressives Congress (APC). It was also said that if I was detained between Tuesday and Wednesday, that will abort the so-called defection plan.”
“While I continue to maintain that the issue of my position on the 2019 elections is not a personal decision for me alone to make, it should be noted that all these concoctions and evil plot cannot deter me. Those behind this fresh assault will fail as I have nothing to do with the robbery incident or any criminal matter for that matter.”
“I am aware that following a request made by the Police on June 13, 2018 to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the Federation had written a legal advice dated June 22, 2018, in which he stated on page 5, paragraph (f) that “For the Senate President and the Kwara State Governor, this office is unable to establish from the evidence in the interim report a nexus between the alleged office and the suspects”.
“The Police have obviously corrupted and politicized their investigations into the Offa robbery incident. They have turned it into an instrument for the party in power to suppress perceived opponents, witchunt issue for blackmailing people from freely choosing which platform on which they want to pursue their ambition and a matter for harassing the people whose exit from APC would harm the chances of the party in the forthcoming elections.”