Police: The previous statement Saraki submitted shows he has a case to answer

Jimoh Moshood, public relations officer of the Nigeria police force, says Senate President Bukola Saraki still has a case to answer on his alleged link with suspects arrested over robbery in Offa, Kwara state.

Moshood said this in response to a letter dated June 23, 2018, where Mohammed U.E, director, public prosecution of the federation, wrote to Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police (IGP), saying no evidence  linking Saraki to the suspects.

But Moshood said the prosecution director did not absolve Saraki of the allegations, it only called for further investigations.

“The DPP advice did not exonerate the Senate President, it only called for further investigations into the matter,” he said in a statement.

“It is in the course of further investigations into the case that a letter of invitation dated 23rd July, 2018 was sent to the senate president to appear on 24th July, 2018 at 8am before the investigation team at intelligence response team office, Guzape junction, Abuja.

“Consequently, the force is hereby re-affirming that the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki has case to answer by virtue of the facts that the statements submitted by the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki earlier to the investigation team was not explicit and detailed enough, and was discovered to require further clarifications and interrogation, and coupled with the fact the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki in his statement, claimed that the full text of the statement of the suspects who indicted him in their confessional statements to the police was not shown to him.”

He said it is imperative for the senate president to report to the police to make further statement after sighting the full text of the statement of the suspects.

“Furthermore, the Force wishes to inform the media and the public that investigation is still ongoing on the Offa bank robbery and the indictment against the Senate President from the confessions of some the arrested principal suspects, and that, there is no  political influence or consideration in the matter.”

Saraki, however, had asked the IGP to send officers investigating the matter to his office.

At least, 31 persons were killed in the robbery on April 5, 2018.