“The force insists that the Senate President is being expected to report to the head of investigation team at the Intelligence Response Team and should honour the invitation, otherwise the force will not hesitate to use all the instruments of the law to ensure compliance with the law.”
Molly Kilete
The Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja has threatened to arrest Senate President Bukola Saraki, if he fails to honour the invitation to him to report to the head of the investigation team at the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) office in Abuja.
This is just as the force headquarters has denied that it deployed policemen to besiege the homes of the Senate President and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, early Tuesday morning.
READ ALSO: Offa bank robbery: Again, Police invite Saraki
Force public relations officer, Jimoh Moshood, who made this known in a statement yetserday, insisted that Saraki, who is expected at the IRT office, must show up, in his own interest, or have himself to blame.
Moshood said that, if Saraki fails to report to the intelligence office, the police would not hesitate to “use all the instruments of the law” to ensure the Senate President’s compliance with the law.
Moshood, in the statement made available to Daily Sun, said: “The Nigeria Police Force on July 23, 2018, invited Sen. Bukola Saraki, President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria, to report to the head of investigation team at the Intelligence Response Team’s office at Guzape junction, Asokoro Extension, Abuja, today, 24th of July, 2018, at 8am for further investigation on his indictment from confessional statements from some of the five gang leaders arrested for their active participation in the Offa bank robbery and gruesome murder of more than 31 persons and snatching of 21 AK-47 rifles on the 5th of April, 2018, but the Senate President refused to honour the police invitation as at the time of this press release.
“The force, therefore, insists that the Senate President is being expected to report to the head of investigation team at the Intelligence Response Team and should honour the invitation, otherwise the force will not hesitate to use all the instruments of the law to ensure compliance with the law.
“The Nigeria Police Force’s attention was also drawn to the innuendos in the early hours of today that some policemen were seen surrounding the residence of the Senate President; the force wishes to categorically state that there was no authorised deployment of police personnel to besiege the residence of the Senate President or his deputy, as reported in the media. The police personnel seen in pictures in the media were those in the convoy of the Senate President and others attached to him.
“However, the Inspector-General of Police has directed a thorough investigation to ascertain the facts in the episode. The force will not allow the end of justice to be perverted by this distraction.
“The Nigeria Police will ensure that the rule of law prevails in this matter.”
Journalists had gathered at the IRT’s office as early as 6:30am, taking position to capture the arrival of the Senate President.
Special Anti-Robbery Squad personnel were also positioned in and outside the road leading to the office.
The police also prevented journalists from gaining access to the premises, saying it was an order from above.
However, the police force said that Saraki was never harassed, threatened or intimidated physically by its personnel from the Force Headquarters or any other formation.
It also denied besieging the residence of the Senate President and his deputy, Ekweremadu, early Tuesday morning, and said it has set up an investigating team to unravel the presence of police personnel there.
It, therefore, called on the public to disregard and discountenance the report of the blockade of the residence, harassment and threat on Saraki in its entirety as untrue and misinforming.
Moshood, stating this at a media briefing Tuesday night at the force headquarters, however, warned that “the Nigeria Police Force will not abdicate from its constitutional responsibilities of detection of crimes and criminalities, and will always treat crime as crime, no matter who is involved.”
Moshood further stated that, “The force remains focused and will not be distracted from carrying out a discrete and thorough investigation into the indictments of the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki, from confessional statements of some of the gang leaders arrested for their active participation in the Offa bank robbery.”
According to him, “it is also absolutely untrue that the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki, was harassed, threatened or intimidated physically or otherwise by any police personnel.
“However, the Inspector-General of Police has directed a thorough investigation to ascertain the facts in the episode.”
Briefing the media, Jimoh said that “further to the press release from this office early this morning on the above subject, where I mentioned that the Nigeria Police Force’s attention was drawn to the innuendos in the early hours of today, 24th July, 2018, that some police personnel were seen surrounding the residence of the Senate President in Abuja, the force categorically stated that there was no authorised deployment of police personnel to besiege the residence of the Senate President or his deputy as reported in the media. The police personnel seen in pictures in the media were those in the convoy of the Senate President.
