By Hassan Zaggi
Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, has clarified that he has not at any time coerce or force anyone to implicate Senator Bukola Saraki or anybody no matter highly placed.
It would be recalled thaton Wednesday, January18, 2023, a serial bank robber standing trial at the Ilorin High Court, Kwara State, having been caught in the act by the Bank CCTV Cameras told the Honourable Court in his testimony that Abba Kyari offered him (the suspect) “N10 million to implicate Senator Bukola Saraki”.
Speaking through his lawyers in a statement made available to The AUTHORITY, DCP Kyari noted that, over the years, he has discharged his responsibilities based on laid down laws, rules of engagement and police service rules.
According to the statement: “The Offa Bank robbers voluntarily confessed that they were political thugs of Senator Bukola Saraki. They also confessed that Saraki was not aware of the bank robbery and that one of the Lexus Jeeps used during the robbery incident was a gift from Senator Bukola Saraki.
“These were the findings made during the Police investigation, hence, all those involved in the Offa bank robbery were subsequently charged to Court.
“Apposite to state that Senator Bukola Saraki was not charged to Court because it was confirmed that he was not aware of the bank robbery rather his political thugs carried out the act.”
The statement further explained that: “The pictures of the Offa bank robbers with Ashobi in Saraki’s house during a ceremony and videos of the robbers joining Saraki’s entourage to greet the King in Offa after the bank robberies are all in public domain before the bank robbers were arrested.
“It is obvious Saraki has lots of followers and political thugs just like every other Nigerian politicians and he may not know all of them directly. Also he cannot be held liable for crimes committed by his political thugs without his knowledge.
“If the police wanted to force the bank robbers to say something different, it could have been done easily by any Police officer without conscience by offering the armed robbers soft landing because that is what armed robbers, kidnappers, murderers and terrorists want from the police not money.”
The statement, however, described the allegation as laughable, saying: “The allegation of a Police officer trying to bribe a suspect in its custody to indict someone is quite laughable and makes no sense at all.
“Again, Kyari and his team arrested these Offa Bank Robbers that killed 31 innocent Nigerians by using the CCTV footage of the Banks that captured the robbers in the act, this alone can amount to hate on the Police Officer.
“So, it is not a surprise that they false allegations and lies are peddling around Abba Kyari. Evans the kidnapper and many other convicted Armed Robbers and kidnappers have said many of such lies in court all in their bids to be exonerated.
“Recall that Evans the kidnapper who was identified by over 20 of his victims said in 2018 in his testimony during his trial before his conviction for life imprisonment, among his many lies that. “Kyari killed 60 human beings in one hour in his presence to force him to confess that he is a kidnapper”. Can you imagine such lies?“
The statement disclosed that: “Everybody knows that elections are coming soon and it’s normal for Saraki’s people to strive and win elections in Kwara State. But If they have a hand in this, it is unfortunate and unfair to instigate their political thugs who were arrested for bank robbery under Court trial to lie against Kyari and team members.
“Senator Bukola Saraki himself knows those that fought him dirty and said some unprintable things against him because of politics but definitely not Abba Kyari.
“We use this medium to bring to the public that, Abba Kyari has no issue with Senator Bukola Saraki whatsoever and has never and would never plan any evil against him.”
