Politics

I Have No Link With Offa Robbery Suspects, Saraki Writes Police IG Again

Published

7 years ago

July 26, 2018

For the second time, President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has written to the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, in response to his invitation to appear for an interrogation over the allegations made against him by armed robbery suspects who attacked banks in Offa, Kwara State.

The police had in June invited Saraki for questioning over the bank robberies in Offa on April 5, but the Senate President responded to the invitation in writing.

The IG, in a letter dated July 23 and addressed to the Senate President, again asked Saraki to report to the police on Tuesday at 8 am to provide further clarification on his relationship with the five leaders of the robbery gang.

Idris, in his latest letter, insisted that the gang leaders claimed they were political thugs to Saraki, adding that “the Senate President supplies arms and money to the thugs; that everyone in Kwara Central fears them because of their guns and ability to kill anybody without hesitation.”

The Senate President, however, did not honour the invitation. He had escaped the siege laid to his Maitama, Abuja residence by the operatives of the Department of State Services and men of the Nigeria Police.

Asked on Wednesday if Saraki would answer the summons by the police, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, said his boss had responded to the police in writing.

Olaniyonu also said Saraki had answered all the questions raised by the police in his letter to the IG.

He added that Saraki’s letter was written and dispatched to the police on Tuesday, stressing that its receipt was duly acknowledged.

Olaniyonu further stated that after answering all the questions raised by the police in his letter, he did not believe that there was any further need for Saraki to go to the police personally.

“He has written a letter to them and the letter has taken care of the purpose of the invitation. He sent the letter to them yesterday (Tuesday). The letter addressed the issues raised in the invitation letter,” Olaniyonu said.

The police spokesman, Moshood Jimoh, could not be reached for comment on Saraki’s letter as he did not respond to several phone calls. He had yet to reply a text message as of the time of filing this report.

Also, it was learnt that the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, had written the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission requesting another date to appear before the commission.

It was learnt that Ekweremadu sent the letter to the EFCC on Wednesday.

A senior EFCC official told our correspondent that the senator noted that he wasn’t given ample time to honour the invitation and would, therefore, need more time.

The EFCC official said, “We received a letter from Senator Ekweremadu requesting another date to appear before us. We will respond to him in due course.”

Officials of the anti-graft agency accompanied by scores of policemen had on Tuesday laid siege to the Deputy Senate President’s home on Jim Nwobodo’s home, Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja.

The EFCC operatives had attempted to arrest Ekweremadu barely hours after inviting him.

In a letter signed by the Director of Operations of the EFCC, Mohammed Abba, with a reference number, ‘CR.3000/EFCC/DOPS/Vol.49/40 dated July 24, 2018, the commission asked the Deputy Senate President to immediately make himself available for questioning.

In the letter titled, ‘Case of Conspiracy, Abuse of Office and Money Laundering’, the anti-graft agency said the request was made pursuant to Section 38(1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes (Establishment) Act, 2004.

The letter read in part, “The commission is investigating the above-mentioned case in which your name featured prominently and the need to obtain certain clarifications from you became imperative.

“In view of the above, you are kindly requested to report and interview by the undersigned at 5 Fomela Street off Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent Wuse 2, Abuja on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, at 10 am prompt.”

EkweremaduEkweremadu could not be reached to confirm or deny his response to the EFCC. His Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu, was contacted via telephone on Wednesday afternoon but he asked for more time to reach out to his boss. When he was called again at 7:45 pm, he said his boss was not home.

Anichukwu had yet to reply, as of the time of filing this report, to the text message sent to him telling him about the information from the EFCC source.

In a related development, Ekweremadu has given more details on the siege to his Abuja residence by the operatives of the EFCC.

A statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu, on Wednesday, quoted Ekweremadu as explaining the situation on Tuesday when the leaders and members of the Senate and the Peoples Democratic Party visited him after the security agents had left.

The Deputy Senate President said the security agents left at about 12:20 pm after spending about six and a half hours.

Ekweremadu said, “We anticipated that a number of our colleagues in the All Progressives Congress would defect and join the Peoples Democratic Party. In anticipation of that, the APC leadership had tried to stop them. When that didn’t happen, the first thing they did was to invite President of the Senate (Bukola Saraki) to come to the police this (Tuesday) morning. They believe that once the President of the Senate goes to the police, I would be the one to preside and probably give effect to the letter of defection.

“In anticipation of that, the police, the EFCC and other security agencies came together — about 200 of them — to stop me from going to the National Assembly. They said I should come to the EFCC to give an explanation over the things I was accused of. I agreed to follow them even though there was no prior invitation, but they were not eager to let me go to answer the invitation.

“The plan was to stop me and the President of the Senate from going to the National Assembly. Unfortunately for them, the President of the Senate was already at the Senate to preside over the plenary session.”

Meanwhile, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State on Tuesday night separately met with Saraki and Ekweremadu. While he visited the Deputy Senate President at his residence, the governor met with the Senate President at his office.

Speaking to journalists at the National Assembly, Fayose said the defections from the APC were for Nigerians and not the PDP. He said the defectors had taken a “path of honour.”

Two of the 14 senators who dumped the APC on Tuesday had denied joining the PDP. While Senator Monsurat Sunmonu (Oyo-Central) said she defected to the ADC, Senator Lanre Tejuoso (Ogun-Central) said he had yet to join another party.

News

Anyone Opposing U.S. Strikes Is Nigeria’s Enemy or Profiting From Insecurity — Ex-General Enenche

Published

1 day ago

December 30, 2025

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A former Nigerian military general, Enenche, has described opposition to United States support and strikes against terrorists as unpatriotic, insisting that such resistance only aids insecurity or serves personal interests.
Reflecting on his experience in active combat zones over two decades ago, Enenche said he witnessed firsthand the human cost of insecurity. According to him, security goes beyond the battlefield, affecting human lives, the economy, and even cyber space.
“As a military man who fought in that area over 20 years ago, I saw with my own eyes the casualties, the rage and the devastation. When you talk about security, you are talking about human security, economic security, cyber security. It affects everyone,” he said.
He welcomed the United States’ decision to support Nigeria, describing it as a positive development for the country. Enenche referenced former U.S. President Donald Trump’s commitment to assist Nigeria, noting that such cooperation signals hope rather than danger.
“America has come out boldly to say, ‘We are going to help you’. President Donald Trump said they will assist Nigeria. For me, this is the beginning of good things to come for this country,” he stated.
The retired general criticized individuals who consistently oppose foreign support, accusing them of spreading fear and pessimism.
“Where some people see negatives, we should see positives. Those who constantly project fear and pessimism, I see them as enemies of this country,” he said.
Drawing comparisons with Nigeria’s past peacekeeping missions, Enenche questioned why similar objections were not raised when Nigerian troops intervened in countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Congo.
“Anytime Nigerians cooperate and act as a team, we get results,” he added.
He further clarified that while foreign allies may not deploy ground troops, Nigeria must still take responsibility for on-ground operations, with strong backing from state and local governments.
“They may not put boots on the ground, but we must do the foot-on-ground work. We must deploy the necessary resources, and that is where state governments and local governments must support this effort,” he said.
Highlighting the sophistication of recent operations, Enenche emphasized that the strikes were intelligence-driven and precise, targeting terrorist strongholds.
“Look at the capacity, look at the weapons used. Do we have that capability? This was intelligence-driven and precise. These terrorists do not want to be followed to their staging or assembly areas,” he concluded.

News

‘Give Them Their Money Directly’ — Tinubu Warns Governors Over LG Allocations

Published

2 weeks ago

December 20, 2025

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued a stern warning to state governors over the handling of Local Government (LG) allocations, insisting that funds meant for LGs must be paid directly to them in line with the Supreme Court judgment.
Speaking on Friday at the 15th APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, Tinubu stressed that the apex court has once again made its position clear, leaving no room for ambiguity. According to him, compliance is no longer optional, as the judgment is binding on all tiers of government.
“The Supreme Court has capped it for you again, saying, ‘give them their money directly’. If you wait for my Executive Order, because I have the knife, I have the yam, I will cut it,” the President said, adding that he has chosen to be patient and respectful with governors.
However, Tinubu warned that continued delay or refusal to implement the ruling would attract consequences, noting that enforcement could begin through FAAC disbursements if necessary.
Emphasizing the rule of law, the President said the ultimate authority remains the Supreme Court and its judgment must be obeyed without excuses.
“We have to comply. We have to respect the judgment,” he concluded.

Politics

‘I’ve Bragged To U.S., EU Partners That Nigeria Will Implement State Police To Tackle Insecurity’ — Tinubu

Published

2 weeks ago

December 19, 2025

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reiterated his administration’s commitment to implementing state police as a key strategy to tackle Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, revealing that he has already communicated this resolve to international partners in the United States and the European Union.

According to the President, insecurity remains one of the biggest challenges confronting Nigeria, and addressing it requires bold structural reforms beyond conventional federal policing. Tinubu stated that the current centralized policing system is overstretched and inadequate for a country as large and diverse as Nigeria, making decentralised policing an urgent necessity.

He explained that state police would allow for better intelligence gathering, quicker response times, and security solutions tailored to local realities. By empowering states to take greater responsibility for security within their territories, the federal government believes crimes such as banditry, kidnapping, and communal violence can be tackled more effectively.

Tinubu also noted that discussions around state police are ongoing, involving consultations with state governments, the National Assembly, and other key stakeholders. He emphasized that proper legal frameworks, accountability mechanisms, and safeguards would be put in place to prevent abuse of power.

The President’s statement signals a renewed push for constitutional reforms that have long been debated in Nigeria. Many security experts and political leaders have argued that state police could strengthen internal security, while critics have raised concerns about potential misuse by state actors.

By openly assuring international partners of Nigeria’s intention to implement state police, Tinubu appears determined to move the conversation from debate to action, positioning the reform as a cornerstone of his administration’s security agenda.