Police ‘still awaiting directive’ to arrest Saraki

The Nigeria police is yet to receive the directive to arrest Senate President Bukola Saraki, Olabisi Kolawole, acting commissioner of police and police spokesperson, has told TheCable.

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) sitting in Abuja on Friday specifically ordered the inspector-general of police to arrest the senate president and bring him before the tribunal on Monday.

Saraki had failed to appear before the tribunal, forcing Justice Danladi Umar, chairman of the CCT, to issue a bench warrant for his arrest.

But Kolawole said the police had not been given the directive, adding that as soon as they receive the order, the arrest of Saraki will be effected.

Responding to a question on whether the police would carry out the order of the tribunal, she said: “If the police receive the directive they will carry it out. As of now, I don’t think the IG has received the order. But if we do, we will obviously carry it out.”

Saraki is a facing a 13-count charge of corruption and false declaration of assets brought against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

He had approached Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the federal high court, Abuja, to halt his trial.

But the court issued an order asking the parties to the case – the chairman of CCT, the ministry of justice, the CCB and Saraki – to appear before it next Monday week.

Saraki’s lawyers interpreted Justice Mohammed’s order to mean the arraignment of Saraki on Friday had been suspended.

But Justice Umar ruled that the high court had no supervisory jurisdiction over the tribunal, voiding the order of the court.