A team of police investigators yesterday interrogated Senate President Bukola Saraki in his office at the National Assembly over the Offa robbery.
Saraki’s media office disclosed that the interrogation took place at about 1.40 p.m.
A statement by his Special Assistant on New Media, Olu Onemola, said the meeting was at the instance of the Senate president.
“Further to the invitation to Saraki by the police on July 23, 2018, and his written response to them on July 24, 2018 on why he could not see them that day — today, at about 1:40 p.m., the Senate President met with a team of investigators on the Offa robbery case in his office.
“Saraki used the opportunity to reiterate the fact that he has nothing to do with either the robbery incident on April 5, 2018, or any other criminal activity,” the statement read.
In his response to the second invitation by the police to appear at their headquarters last Monday, Saraki had on Tuesday written to the Inspector General, Ibrahim Idris, requesting that he send a team of investigators to his office to carry out the investigation.
“I acknowledge your letter dated 23rd of July 2018. For the record, I should mention that I received your letter at 8:30 p.m. on Monday 23rd July, inviting me for the next day at 8 a.m. The two lawyers whose advice I needed were in Calabar and Lagos and had to travel to Abuja today. As you are aware, the deputy president of the Senate was unable to leave his residence this morning to preside over the Senate having being prevented from doing so by security agents. If he had been able to preside over the Senate, I would have honoured your invitation,” the letter read further.
Saraki said the absence of both presiding officers would have voided the sitting of the Senate, a situation that would have been damaging to national interest, particularly in the light of very important legislative matters that needed to be addressed in view of the imminent recess of the National Assembly.
He reminded the police that President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier directed, as a courtesy to his office, that in the event of any request for further information from him, the security agents should either send their personnel to his office or obtain a written response from him.
“I need to place on record as well, that following the incident of being harassed and threatened at my residence by the police, I am deeply concerned over my physical security. I request you, therefore, to assign your personnel who need information on this matter, to meet me in my office, immediately after plenary today or tomorrow or any other day at your convenience,” Saraki wrote in the letter.
__________
Follow us on Twitter at @thesignalng
Copyright 2018 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant sources.
