How police tortured us to implicate Saraki in Offa robbery, by suspect

Shamudeen Bada, a witness, has told Kwara State High Court how men of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector-General of police (IGP) led by DCP Abba Kyari tortured them to implicate former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, in the April 5, 2018 Offa robbery incident.

Bada, who is a former Vice Chairman of Irepodun Local Council, Kwara State, recounted his experience, yesterday, during the resumed trial of the suspects in the robbery at the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin. 

The police arraigned Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham and two other suspects for criminal conspiracy to rob the banks, murder of nine policemen and other citizens and illegal possession of firearms. 

When families of the suspects threatened the police with litigation, the IRT operatives said they were taking instructions directly from the IGP and that there was no court from Kwara that could stop their operations, the witness narrated. 
During cross-examination at the resumed trial, Bada said, while in detention, the IRT operatives promised to free them if they name Saraki as their sponsor. He, however, said Akinnibosun was shot in the leg when he declined to indict Saraki.  

“After he was shot, I became very nervous, depressed and my health started deteriorating. Kyari brought some nurses to treat me. Before I was eventually released, the police officers gave me conditions before I was released that I must neither grant any press interview nor go to court and that I should quit politics,” he said. 

The witness also disclosed that the police officers directly told him: “You these Kwara boys, we will show you shege. We will take Kwara from your leader, Saraki.”

According to him, their arrest was politically-motivated due to the failure of Lai Mohammed’s camp at the All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congress against the Saraki’s structure. “To deal with the Saraki camp, they needed something to nail them; hence, the Offa Robbery became their option,” he added.

The prosecuting counsel was unable to conclude his cross-examination of the witness due to the fact that a particular document was not brought before the court. Hence, they sought adjournment to obtain the document and the case was subsequently adjourned till January 16, 17 and 18, 2023 for continuation of cross-examination by the prosecution team.