The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has accused the police authorities of covering up human right abuse, extra judicial killing and politicization of a prime suspect in the April 5, 2018 Offa robbery incident in which 33 persons were killed by the bandits.
He also accused the police of a cover up in the mishandling of the investigations and politicization of the process, and that the police authorities have continued to make inconsistent statements and committing more blunders.
In a statement on Friday by his media Adviser, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the President of the Senate said that the response by the Police that the death of the prime suspect would not stop his prosecution was besides the point but a mere diversionary tactic.
Senator Saraki said that his statement on Wednesday that he had been vindicated, did not refer to the outcome of a case which is just about to commence, adding that his statement pointed to the belated admission by the police that Michael Adikwu, the prime suspect, had died in custody, a fact that was initially denied by the police when he (Senate President) raised it a few months ago.
“The police, while reacting to our disclosure that the prime suspect had died in custody, caused their spokesman, Moshood Jimoh, to respond that: ‘Michael Adikwu is in police custody in one of the South-west states…helping in the investigation’. The same Police have equally documented the claim that the suspect died during arrest. What a contradiction!
“It is surprising that the Police which initially allowed the said Adikwu to grant interviews to several national newspapers while in custody, refused to inform the public that the suspect had died until the Attorney General of Kwara State mentioned it on November 21, 2018 in the course of his address to the High Court in Ilorin while applying to amend the charge sheet.”
Saraki called on President Muhammadu Buhari to institute inquiry into the death of Adikwu because it has several implications for the country’s legal system and its engagement with the international community.
This, according to him, is necessary, in view of the consistent allegations of human rights abuse and extra judicial killings against the Federal Government by the international communities and foreign rights organizations.
He recalled that the international community has consistently cited issues of human rights abuses and extra judicial killings by Nigerian security forces for refusal to sell weapons to the Nigerian government in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgents.
“One of the key issues those of us who have been engaging with the international community on the need for them to support Nigeria in the fight against terrorism in the North-east region through supply of arms, provision of training and other technical aid has been confronting is that of the flagrant abuse of human rights and extra-judicial killings by our security agencies.
“This is an instance of what these international partners complain about. The Presidency should make a point that the present government does not tolerate human rights abuse, extra-judicial killing, politically-motivated criminal investigation and refusal to comply with global best practices by security agencies by instituting an inquiry into the case of the death of this suspect.”
The Senate President called for diligent prosecution of the Offa robbery case so that justice can be done to the innocent victims of the April 5 attacks, the suspects facing trial and the state whose peace was disturbed by the sad incident.
