‘They Are Our Sponsors’ — Five Offa Gang Leaders Implicate Saraki, Gov Abdulfatah
*Chief of Staff to Governor Ahmed, Personal Assistant, Arrested.
The Police Force headquarters in Abuja has invited the President of the Senate and number 3 man in the country, Senator Bukola Saraki to answer questions relating to what the police referred to as allegations indicting him from ‘confessions of 5 Gang leaders arrested for active participation in Offa Bank Robbery and Killings of 33 innocent persons’.
The Police said the five gang leaders in the Offa banks robbery which left several people killed amongst them, 9 police officers, volunteered statements that they were political thugs of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and the Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed.
Confirming the invitation in a statement, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Jimoh Moshood said, “The investigation into the Offa Bank Robbery and gruesome killings of more than 33 Innocent persons in Offa, Kwara State on the 5th April, 2018 directed by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, has made significant progress, successes and more revelations have been recorded.
“The Gang Leaders and some of the principal suspects arrested for their active participation in the robbery and the killing of innocent persons have made confessional statements admitting to the various criminal roles they and their sponsors played in this dastard and heinous crime.
“The five (5) gang leaders namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran and some of the other Seventeen (17) suspects arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery and the gruesome killing of 33 innocent persons which includes (some pregnant women and nine (9) Police personnel) admitted, confessed and volunteered statements that they were political thugs of the Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Bukola Saraki and the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed.
“The arrests of the above mentioned Five (5) Gang Leaders and seventeen (17) others were made possible after the arrest of two principal suspects (Kunle Ogunleye aka Arrow 35yrs and Michael Adikwu an Ex-Convict) whose pictures captured by CCTV in one of the Banks during the Banks robbery were circulated to the media and the public.
“The two (2) principal suspects confessed to be among the suspects led by the five (5) gang leaders listed in paragraph 2 above to carry out the Offa Banks Robbery, the attack on the Divisional Police Headquarters, Offa and the killings of THIRTY THREE (33) innocent persons on the 5th of April, 2018.
“During interrogation, the five (5) gang leaders mentioned in paragraph 2 further confessed and volunteered statements that they carried out the Bank Robberies, the attack on the Divisional Police Headquarters in Offa and the killings of 33 innocent persons during the robbery of the following six (6) banks (i) First Bank Offa (ii) Guarantee Trust Bank Offa (iii) ECO Bank Offa (iv) Zenith Bank Offa (v) Union Bank Offa (vi) Ibolo Micro Finance Bank Offa and (vii) the Divisional Police Headquarters, Offa on 5th April, 2018.
Continuing the police said, “Millions of Naira from the Banks and Twenty One (21) AK47 Rifles belonging to the Nigeria Police Force in the Armoury of the Police Divisional Headquarters, Offa were admitted to have been carted away by the Five (5) gang leaders and the other Seventeen (17) principal suspects during the Banks robbery.
“The Five (5) gang leaders confessed and volunteered statements to the Police investigators, giving a clear account of how they planned and carried out the Banks robbery operation in Offa, the attack on the Police Division in Offa and how they killed the 33 innocent persons during the robbery.
“The Five (5) gang leaders further confessed during investigation that they are political thugs under the name Youth Liberation Movement a.k.a “Good Boys” admitted and confessed to have been sponsored with firearms, money and operational vehicles by the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki and the Governor of Kwara State, Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed.
“In the course of discreet investigation into the confessions of these five (5) gang leaders and the other seventeen (17) principal suspects, a Lexus jeep GX-300 (Ash Colour) with a sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” used by the gang leader (Ayoade Akinnibosun ‘M’ 37Yrs) during the bank robbery and the killing of the 33 innocent persons was taken to Government House, Ilorin on 16th May, 2018 where the sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” was removed before another plate number (Reg. No. Kwara, KMA 143 RM) registered in the name of Ayoade AKinnibosun the Overall Commander of the Offa Bank Robbery was then attached to the vehicle to cover up the identity of the said vehicle.
“The exhibit vehicle was subsequently recovered from the premises of the Ministry of Environmental and Forestry in Ilorin, Kwara State. While the sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” removed from the vehicle was recovered from one Adeola Omiyale who drove the said Lexus Jeep to Government House, Ilorin immediately after the Bank Robbery.
“The Personal Assistant (Political) to the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mr. Alabi Olalekan, who is privy to information that the Police is looking for the Lexus Jeep as an exhibit used in the Offa Bank Robbery and the killings of 33 innocent persons directed one Adeola Omiyale to relocate the Lexus Jeep to Government House, Ilorin.
“The PA (Political) is currently in Police custody and has made useful statement assisting the Police in further investigation into the case.
“A revolver pistol and pump action gun were recovered by the Police Investigation Team from the Personal Assistant (Political) to the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mr. Alabi Olalekan’s Farm where he directed his brother to hide them after his arrest by the Police.
“In order to conceal evidence, the Chief of Staff to the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mr. Yusuf Abdulwahab who has been arrested and taken into Police custody, arranged the removal of the sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” from the exhibit vehicle and also registered the exhibit Lexus Jeep used in the Offa Bank Robbery and the killings of 33 innocent persons in the name of Ayoade AKinnibosun, the overall Gang Commander of the Offa Bank Robbery while the Ayoade AKinnibosun was already in Police custody for more than six (6) days before the registration of the vehicle.
“Investigation is ongoing and effort is being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large. All suspects involved will be arraigned in court for prosecution on completion of investigation.
“Meanwhile, the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki is being invited by the Nigeria Police Force to report to the Force Intelligence Response Team office at Guzape, Abuja to answer to the allegations leveled against him from the confessions of the Five (5) Gang Leaders, namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran and some of the other Seventeen (17) suspects arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery and the gruesome killing of 33 innocent persons which includes (some pregnant women and nine (9) Police personnel).
“The Nigeria Police Force will continue to ensure that the rule of law prevails in every case under Police investigation and every offender is brought to justice.
The suspects in Police custody in connection with the Offa Bank Robberies are Ayoade Akinnibosun a.k.a AY 37Yrs – Gang Leader (Coordinated the Killings) from Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State; Ibukunle Ogunleye 36Yrs – Gang Leader, Killed Two (2) Persons from Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State, Adeola Abraham 35Yrs – Gang Leader, Killed Five (5) Persons, from Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State, Salawudeen Azeez 49Yrs – Gang Leader, Killed Two (2) Persons, from Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State and Niyi Ogundiran 37Yrs – Gang Leader, Killed Two (2) Persons (Latest Confession), from Oro, Irepodun LGA, Kwara State.
Others are Michael Adikwu 30Yrs – Sectional Gang Leader, Killed Twenty Two (22) Persons, mostly at the Police Station, Kabiru Afolabi 26Yrs – Principal Suspect, Omoseni Kassim 28Yrs – Principal Suspect, Kayode Opadokun 35Yrs – Principal Suspect, Kazeem Abdulrasheed 36Yrs – Principal Suspect, Azeez Abdullahi 27Yrs – Principal Suspect and Adewale Popoola 22Yrs – Principal Suspect.
Also in police custody are Adetoyese Muftau 23Yrs – Principal Suspect, Alexander Reuben 39Yrs – Principal Suspect, Richard Buba Terry 23Yrs – Principal Suspect, Peter Jasper Kuunfa 23Yrs – Principal Suspect, Ikechukwu Ebuka Nnaji 29Yrs – Principal Suspect, Moses Godwin 28Yrs – Principal Suspect, Adeola omiyale 38Yrs from Isanlu Isin Town, Isin LGA, Kwara State.
Others are Femi Idowu 34Yrs, Alabi Olalekan 49Yrs-PA Political to Executive Governor, Kwara State, and Yusuf Abdulwahab 58Yrs –Chief of Staff to Executive Governor, Kwara State
The police listed exhibits recovered from the suspects as 2 AK47 Rifles, 2 Barrette Pistols, One Pump Action Rifle, One Revolver Pistol – in Police Custody in Ilorin
Lexus RX300 Jeep with Reg. Kwara, KMA 143 RM belonging to Ayoade Akinnibosun (Gang Leader) – Used for the Bank Robbery; Mercedes Benz – Compressor with Reg. Lagos LT496 KJA belonging to Ayoade Akinnibosun (Gang Leader) – Used for the Bank Robbery, One (1) Toyota Prado Jeep with Reg. No. 19KWGH belonging to the PA Political to the Executive Governor, Kwara State – In Police Custody in Ilorin
Other exhibits are One (1) Toyota Camry Saloon Car with Reg. LRN 481 FE – in Police Custody in Ilorin; the Cash Sum of Six Hundred Thousand Naira (N600, 000.00) – in Police Custody in Ilorin, 4 phones of victims recovered, and One Sticker plate number with inscription “SARAKI” “Kwara, State of Harmony” (Vanguard )